Silver Heart
by nikitafanx
Summary: ***FINAL CHAPTER*** This is the final chapter of the story. But will they get everything they want... and need?...You'll have to read and see... R&R please.
1. Silver Heart

**I don't own Nikita or any of it's characters etc.**

* * *

_My first fanfic! Sorry it's so short but I just wanted to do an intro to see what people think and to get my ideas flowing. Oh and sorry about the weird place I started at but I didn't want to write alot of chapters for the other episodes and I thought it would be interesting to start off after the mid- season finale since it was so BRILLIANT! Anyway... enjoy!_

* * *

Alex winced as he placed his cold hands on her slender shoulders. It had been a long day and all she wanted was to be left alone to fully understand what had happened.

But it was Michael who was there comforting her and she could hardly turn him away.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked genuinely concerned.

Alex nodded in reply but he could see the amount of pain that Thom's death had caused when he looked into her deep, blue eyes.

He took hold of her shaky hand and he whispered into her ear, " I promise you it will get easier. I know I can never be equal to what Thom meant to you but I am always here, okay? Always."

He kissed her forehead and headed towards the door.

"Michael?" Alex whispered.

"What is it?"

"Thankyou", she smiled. " You know, for making sure I was okay."

He would have replied but she was already drifting off to sleep. A smile crept upon his lips as he left the stark white room and he closed the door behind him.

But a hint of doubt couldn't help but follow him out.


	2. Personal Vendetta

**I do not own Nikita or any of the characters etc.**

_

* * *

__Hey guys! This is the second chapter of my story and how I think it would go when Jayden finds out that Alex killed Thom. Want to thank __**vampiricmermaid **__for being the first to review. Please R&R and feel free to suggest anything._

* * *

Alex trudged along into the canteen scuffing her feet along the cold, hard ground. She had about the same amount of emotion in her as that floor. It had all been sucked out of her like a vacuum the day she killed her best friend. Her only friend. She looked around, trying to find a place to sit. On all of the tables there were friends, whether they were allowed to be or not, laughing and having fun together. _That used to be me and Thom_, she thought.

She walked up to the emptiest table she could find and sat down, breathing heavily. Tears collected in her eyes and were on the verge of flooding over when she heard a faint voice in her head.

_Don't forget your mission Alex, you're the only chance we have left._

Alex laughed to herself. Nikita. Of course it was, Nikita was like a big sister to her and she knew that she would always have her to rely on whether she was physically close or not.

Little did Alex know, she had another person watching over her, carefully studying her every move to make sure she wasn't going crazy. Michael. He was stood at the edge of the balcony on the next floor up, leaning ever so slightly over so he could get a better view of all of the recruits. It was his job to look after them and he was going to make sure he did that job pretty damn well.

The elevator opened with a _ping, _and Alex looked up momentarily to see a clearly pissed off girl march into the room. It was Jayden.

"Oh god," Alex muttered. "This ought to be fun."

_Just breathe and maybe she won't see you._

But Jayden saw. She sauntered up to Alex and slung her tray off the table without giving it a second thought. She wanted a fight and a fight was what she was going to get.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Alex screamed jumping out of her seat.

The usually busy and hectic canteen went stone cold silent.

Jayden stood there with one arm crossed and casually blew her nails.

"You can talk. You're the one with the mental issues and no conscience." Jayden replied coolly.

"Excuse me?"

With the speed of some sort of a natural disaster, Jayden grabbed Alex by her sweatshirt and pulled her in close so their faces were only inches apart.

"You killed Thom and then framed him. What kind of respect is that for a friend, huh? Don't think I'm stupid, Alex. Now I'm gonna make your life hell until one day it all just, goes away."

Jayden made a waving gesture towards the top level. Everyone knows the top level is where an unruly recruit is sent to get cancelled.

Alex narrowed her eyes but Jayden didn't stop there.

She pulled Alex in closer.

"And don't think just because you remind Michael of Nikita that he's gonna come save your sorry ass."

_Damn, I really wish Nikita was here now because she would take, you, down._

Jayden continued, "Besides, he doesn't even care about you because if he did, why isn't he here 'saving' you?"

"Shut up bitch!" Alex growled.

Jayden glanced up at Michael and smirked.

"I think I'm more his type anyway. He's not into little girls."

Alex broke free of Jayden's grasp and swung a hit, but missed. Instead she stuck out her leg and watched Jayden fall to the floor, satisfied.

* * *

"Crap," Michael muttered.

Percy appeared behind him. He had clearly been watching the whole charade from his office and came to get a closer look.

Percy said, "No don't. Leave them to it. This should be interesting." There was something of an evil grin in the corner of his mouth.

"What? Are you crazy? You've seen how they fight they'll rip each other to shreds!" Michael exclaimed.

"Michael, don't move." Percy said with a growl.

Michael had no choice to obey Percy's command since he was, unfortunately only second in command.

Underneath them the two girls continued to fight it out.

One, two, three. Jayden consecutively hit Alex in her cheekbone. They sparred and ed against each other but Alex was stronger and Jayden's knees buckled under the pressure Alex is put on them.

Eventually Jayden gave up and fell to the floor. But Alex wasn't done yet. There was still so much anger bubbling up inside of her and the sight of Jayden reminded her of Thom and made the pain so much worse. She kicked and punched Jayden.

Jayden cried out for help but no one dared do anything.

"Yeah. Who's the little girl now?" Alex said triumphantly continuing to make a thudding sound as her foot hit Jayden.

"I have to stop this now!" Michael screamed.

Percy gave in, "Fine, go ahead."

* * *

Michael ran as fast as he could, pushing past the guards, recruits, Birkhoff. He didn't care how, he just had to go and stop it. Percy watched him run with a slight look of amusement on his face.

Michael arrived on the floor where the canteen was situated. He lunged towards Alex and pulled her back from Jayden with both arms.

Jayden sniggered.

"Aw, has your boyfriend come to rescue you?" She mocked, clearly enjoying it.

"Shut it recruit," Michael snapped.

Jayden submissively got up and walked away, defeated. All eyes were on her but she was too focused on giving Alex a stare that read, _don't mess with me_, that she didn't notice.

Alex struggled to get out of Michael's grasp but he held on tight. He said to her in a low voice, "What are you playing at Alex? Do you want to get yourself cancelled? You're almost there to being a Field Agent, you don't want to do anything that will mess that up."

He slowly released Alex.

"Me?" She protested. "She's the one who started it! She's mental!"

Michael sighed, "I think you need some help. Getting over Thom's death. So that's why I'm taking you to see Amanda."

Alex looked at him with wide eyes, begging him not to take her. But she knew he would.


	3. And They All Fell Down

**I don't own Nikita or any of its characters etc.**

_

* * *

__Hey everyone, so glad you enjoyed the last one because I had a lot of fun writing it. In this chapter I wanted to show just how twisted Amanda can be by playing on Alex's emotions and not torturing her physically. Brief Malex moment at the end there. I wonder what Amanda is up to?_

* * *

Alex picked up her pace as she hurried to catch up with Michael. So many emotions were coursing through her veins. Adrenaline, anxiety, grief and terror. She was side by side with Michael now and she grasped his arm as hard as she could to let him know how desperate she was.

He looked at her and carried on walking.

"God help me," Alex whispered under her heavy breaths.

"Michael, please!" She cried out. "Please don't take me to see Amanda, it's not necessary. I just need a little more time." Alex was hysterical and it showed.

Michael spun around and grabbed onto both of her arms firmly.

"Alex! You don't have time. If you're not up to the standard Division wants you to be, when they need you to be. Well, I think we both know what will happen."

She shifted nervously and looked at his face. Older, worn down, like he'd been through a lot so surely he must be able to sympathise with her, right?

"Michael, please I know you. You're better than Division."

"I am Division Alex. Don't you understand? I can't always help you out when you need it! This is for your own good." Michael yelled.

_Wrong._

Alex stumbled back, shocked by his intensity and the apparent truth behind his words.

Michael's words sunk in and he realised exactly just what he had said. He let go of Alex and ran a hand through his short, dark hair.

"I'm sorry," he said softer than before. "I _do_ care about you Alex but I can't watch over you 24/7 because I need to know, for sure that you will be able to survive in the real world."

Alex nodded in agreement. Then something Michael had said stopped her in her tracks.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Michael asked.

"Why _do_ you care about me?" Alex gulped. "I mean I know you have to make sure all the recruits are OK but, why am_ I_ so special."

Michael knew what she was implying so he chose his words very carefully.

"Because," he started. "I know how tough Division can truly be."

"And that's it?" She questioned him, moving in an inch closer.

"Yes. That's it." He whispered.

"Alex, Amanda is ready for you now," A voice boomed from down the hallway, stopping Alex from what she about to say next. Something she might have regretted.

* * *

"Okay, Alex. Breathe and you'll be fine," Michael nodded.

Alex trembled as she walked past two sets of guards, down the long, grey hallways and arrived at the semi- opaque doors that only shadows ever passed through.

She contemplated turning back, running away from it all when Amanda swiftly opened the doors and said in a monotone voice, "Alex. So glad you could make it. Come in."

_Yeah, like a have a choice, right?_

"Sit," she ordered, but there was something patronising about the way she said it.

Alex just wasn't in the mood to be ordered around by some woman she knew nothing about and yet Amanda seemed to know _everything_ about her.

"Actually," she remarked. "I think I'll stand."

Then she added with a smile, "Of course, if that's alright with you?"

Amanda tensed up and coughed, "Yes, whatever you prefer Alex."

"It seems to me like you've been having some… How can I put this...? Difficulties, getting over the recruits death."

"His _name,_ was Thom," Alex snapped, her upper lip curling at the edges slightly.

"Yes, Thom. I'm sorry. It must have been awful to lose someone you obviously cared about. So, why don't you start off by telling me exactly what you can remember from the night of the incident?" Amanda said, being everything but apologetic.

_Incident, _the word rang through Alex's ears until her brain processed the information. It was like they were afraid to even speak of it.

"Fine," Alex said strongly, showing Amanda not even she could break her. "I was on my way back to my room from training and I noticed Thom hanging around." _Lie._

Amanda nodded, gesturing for Alex to continue.

"So, I asked him what he was doing and he looked uncomfortable. That's when I noticed the print pad tucked away in his hand." _Lie._ Alex stopped. Was all of this worth betraying her friend?

She carried on anyway, "Then, I asked him what it was. All he said was that it was nothing I needed to worry about. That was when we heard the explosion. He tried to make a run for it and that's when I knew I had to… I had to…" She stumbled. Alex couldn't get the words out of her head_. Lie, lie, lie. You're a liar._

She looked down at her hands which were now covered in sweat. She was astonished at how quickly she had almost lost her cool.

"Don't worry Alex. You're having a little trouble that's all," Amanda said in a sickly sweet voice that would have made Mr Willy Wonka himself gag. "These should help jog your memory."

* * *

Amanda reached into a drawer under her desks and produced a blank folder. She placed it on the desk and looked at Alex.

Alex sat in the seat she had denied earlier and hesitantly reached across the table to where the folder was. Pulling it closer she took a deep breath because she knew what was inside couldn't be good.

Carefully she opened up the folder to see a picture of the room Nikita was originally held in by Percy and Amanda. She glanced at Amanda who gave her her best stare back. Alex turned the page and saw another photo. This time of the effects of the explosion. She kept turning past other pictures just like the ones she saw until she came to the last one.

_Oh god, Thom._

Alex studied the picture. Every aspect of Thom's beautiful face. His blue eyes, his boyish smile and a face that told a story of his past. He reminded her slightly of Michael 10 minutes earlier.

Then there were the things that weren't so beautiful. His cold, blue hands. The pain in his expression. And the pool of blood that had seeped from underneath him from his gun wound. The gun wound Alex had put there.

"Alex," Amanda chipped in. "Tell me what you see."

"What?" Alex screeched, fear making her voice high.

"Calm down, and tell me what you see in the picture," Amanda insisted, pushing the photo closer to Alex.

"I see… I see Thom. The closest friend I've ever had. Dead on the floor, because of me! I did this… I did this to Thom and all he ever was was good to me."

Then Alex just lost it.

"Why?" She demanded. "Why would you do this to me? I lost a friend because of _you_!"

She flung the pictures across the room watching as they scattered like autumn leaves when they first fall from the tree. Then she decided that wasn't enough so she kicked over the chair and pushed the desk back making Amanda get out of her seat. Alex picked up a navy blue fountain pen from her desk and held it underneath Amanda's chin, her whole body shaking as she did so.

"Us?" Amanda asked calmly. Clearly unaffected by Alex's outburst she dared to push her further. "In fact Alex it would be you who has done wrong. You broke the rules. For that reason exactly friendships are not encouraged at Division because in the end we all lose someone we care about."

"Friendships are what make us human, Amanda. Something _you_ wouldn't know about. If I didn't have Thom I would have lost it a long time ago." Alex uttered.

"That may be true Alex, but Thom was hardly a great friend to his country was he now? He betrayed you and us. So I'm sorry but you really shouldn't have any sympathy for him."

Alex spat on the ground, disgusted. "Please. You sound just like Percy."

"And is that such a bad thing?" Amanda retorted. "After all, here at Division we just want to help."

"Really?" Alex screeched at her, angrier than ever. "Because this sure as hell doesn't seem like much help to me!"

Amanda was silent and Alex could have sworn she saw her twitch. Alex slowly moved the pen away from Amanda's face and hurled it towards the doors. But it had no affect and instead just fell to the ground, shattered.

It all got too much for Alex and she crumpled on the floor in a mess, but Amanda just looked satisfied as she stood there watching Alex cry.

* * *

At that exact point in time Michael decided to interrupt the little party. He slammed open the heavy doors and made them look wooden and flimsy, like they belonged in a saloon.

"What is going on in here?" He demanded to know, his voice low, clearly troubled by the amount of noise he heard coming from the room.

"Ah, Michael. Nice of you to join us. We were just about finished weren't we Alex?"

There was no reply from Alex. Amanda looked confused.

"Of course she's not going to reply! Look at what you've done to her," Michael shouted moving dangerously close to Amanda.

Amanda didn't budge. She was used to that type of behaviour and she demanded on being the dominant one. "All Alex needed to do was to get the nights events out of her system and talk to someone about it."

"Oh Amanda, give me break. I hardly think making her scream, threaten you," he said picking up the pen questioningly. "And ultimately her end up crying, is really talking about it, do you?"

"Michael I should hardly have to tell you this but the process in which the results were achieved doesn't matter, it's the fact that results were achieved at all." Amanda recited. "Besides, Alex is ready now."

"Ready for what?" Michael snarled.

"Goodbye Michael," Amanda said nonchalantly, turning around and heading back to her desk. She looked at them once again and sat down and continued on with her work.

Michael shook his head in disbelief and helped Alex get herself up from the floor, shushing her gently to get her to relax.

* * *

They walked back to Alex's room in silence and neither of them looked at each other on the way because Alex was embarrassed for how easily Amanda had broken her. But Michael was ashamed that he had let Amanda hurt her at all.

They arrived outside her room and Michael stared at her for what seemed like an eternity until her took her face in his hands and cupped them around her cheeks.

He looked at her straight in the eyes and that was when he noticed how vulnerable she could be. He whispered, "Alex. I am so, so sorry for letting this happen to you. You were right. Amanda can be too much and I should have just listened to you. But I promise you, I will never let anything like that happen to you ever again."

Alex smiled and Michael took his hands away from her pretty little face.

Alex laughed and said, "That's what you said last time. Thank you, Michael for coming to help me. Again. You're really great. Anyway, bye."

She walked into her room, tired from the day's events, and gently shut the door behind her without looking back.

But if she had, she would have seen the guilt flood across Michael's face and the tears glisten in his eyes.


	4. Love and Lies

**I do not own Nikita or any of its characters etc.**

_

* * *

__Ha ha as requested I'm starting to add more and more Malex moments and I think it unfortunately might take a while for Michael to fully understand his feelings for Alex. So wait patiently because it will get interesting. This is more like a stepping stone chapter to set up the story to get Alex to become a Field Agent. Please keep on reviewing, thank you._

* * *

Alex was all alone. Alone with her thoughts, and the dummy she was pounding to death.

_Michael… Division… Amanda… Field Agent._

Left, right, left, right, swing and kick. She pounded the dummy making it sway from side to side. She was still angry about yesterday, and the fact that she never said to Michael what she wanted to say, when she knew it would have made such a difference.

Michael appeared in the shadows of the wide room but he just stood and watched as Alex gracefully fought. She had come such a long way and there was something holding her back. He looked at her face. Such determination but he wished he could take away all the pain that lay behind her beautiful eyes and make everything better. They were always begging for help, begging for something yet he couldn't seem to give her what she needed.

"Morning," he said loudly stepping into the light where Alex could see him.

She looked up for a second and then went back to knocking the lights out of the dummy, just harder and faster than before.

Michael winced. Even when Alex wasn't trying she could be deadly.

"What are you doing?" he asked her despite the fact that it was pretty obvious.

"Taking my anger out on this," signalling the dummy with one last deadly punch.

"And why are you angry?"

_You, Amanda, Division, life in general._

She decided on saying, "Stuff."

Michael laughed his deep laugh and Alex couldn't help but smile a little with him.

"Well," he says moving closer. "If you want to do some damage as well as learn something then you should hit him right in the jaw." He took Alex's hand and points with it to the dummy's jaw.

"Oh," she breathed, trying to act calm and collected was not really her forte.

"Here, let me show you," Michael laughed.

He walked slowly behind her and lifted up her right arm and held her fist in his hand. He placed his other hand in the small of her back. He carefully brought her arm back and then swung at the dummy.

"See, not so hard is it?"

Michael sighed because he knew he had to spoil the atmosphere, "Alex. Percy has activated you for another mission."

Alex gulped. The last time she was on a mission she almost got both herself and Nikita killed by Division. And that was _with_ help.

"When?" she asked, not sure whether she fully wanted to hear the answer or not.

"Tonight. The annual ball that is held every year in Washington. The target is a Mr Allan Shipponi. He's wanted by Division for knowing a little too much about one of our last missions. He's also a very infamous drug dealer." Michael replied.

"And how I take him down?" Alex replied to Michaels reply. She acted like she wasn't bothered by having to kill someone but her heart was pounding so fast if you looked close enough, you would be able to see it through her vest.

"Simple gun shot, but we need you to retrieve his phone from out of his pocket _after_ the kill has been made for his contacts. Oh, and one last thing. The ball was very in demand and the only way we could manage to get you a ticket without being suspicious is if you posed as another guest's wife." Michael told Alex, watching her to see her reaction. But if she was worried about the mission she certainly didn't let it show.

"Oh, well that should be fun," Alex joked taking a sip of her water. "And who's my lucky husband?"

Michael coughed, apparently thinking what he was about to say was rather hilarious.

"Seems Percy thought it would be fun if it was someone inside of Division."

Alex suddenly looked interested in what he had to say to her.

"And who would that be?" She asked again glugging down her water.

"Me," Michael smirked.

Alex coughed and almost choked on her water.

_What the hell?_

"Excuse me?" Alex asked trying to register what Michael had said.

"From now on we are Mr and Mrs Simmons. First names Samuel and Maria." Michael relayed the information as if the most important part didn't affect him.

"Married?" Alex questioned. "Whose mad idea was that?"

Michael looked uncomfortable, "Percy was ready to move you up to Field Agent after Thom died but it seems your reaction to Amanda's games made him reconsider. He wants to push you to see if you can still deliver in tricky situations."

_Oh shit,_ Alex thought. How was she meant to concentrate on her mission when Percy had her running around like an actress pretending to be married to Division's second in command?

"Are you alright about all of this?" Alex pushes for an answer. "I mean I know it's a bit weird and it could be really awkward."

Michael looked caught out. It was like she could read his mind.

"Yes I'm fine," he said confidently.

"Why would it be awkward?" Michael asked turning to leave.

"No reason," Alex replied more to herself as she watched Michael leave.

* * *

The orchestra in the corner of the grand room starting playing their music. Busy people chatted and mingled with other busy people.

The whole ambience of the place was amazing, so calm and laid back yet elegant and very posh at the same time. Alex had never been to a ball before, never mind the annual Washington Starlight Ball, the most famous, prestigious ball in the whole of America.

Before Division, the closest she ever got to a ball were clubs and even then they weren't particularly nice.

It was eerie how the night was so peaceful when Alex had to end another person's life.

Michael walked into the room, arm in arm with Alex. She was a wearing a stunning floor length cream down that hugged her in all the right places with a dark blue sash across her tiny waist.

The back of the dress was just as impressive, it was low cut and ended at the bottom of Alex's back, making her look even more beautiful than usual. A diamond necklace followed the back of her dress as it dangled down her back.

Tall black stilettos peeked out from underneath her dress, making her roughly the same height as Michael.

"Michael?" She whispered to him. " I don't know how to act at one of these things."

Michael smiled adoringly at her and answered back, "Don't worry, you already look the part. Just act like you have on any other mission. Remember, you are not Alex. You are Maria Simmons, upper class, rich and married to me. Just pretend and have fun and everything will be fine."

_No one has ever said I look good before, _she thought._ Well Amanda has but that doesn't really count because I'm sure she meant she managed to make me look good._

Alex blushed and complimented him in return, "Well, you don't look too bad yourself."

Michael smoothed down his tuxedo and grinned, "Well, I do try."

Alex liked this Michael. The Michael at Division would have never made a joke.

He pulled her in closer to him and said in her ear, "I think we should try and blend in more."

Alex felt in the mood for a joke so she said, "Why? Because there is no way in real life that a guy like you could get a girl like me?"

She titled her head to one side, "Honey."

Michael slipped his arm around her waist and said, "Well then, honey, I guess you wouldn't mind dancing seen as this after all, is a ball."

Alex narrowed her eyes and smiled, "I'd love to."

I wasn't a secret that Alex wasn't the best dancer in the world so she hardly wanted to embarrass herself when she needed to focus on her mission.

They started dancing slowly in time with the music, Michael connected his hands at the back of Alex's waist and she rested her arms around his neck.

"You know," Alex said. "You're not as bad of a dancer as I imagined."

"Well aren't you lovely," Michael replied, spinning her around the room. There was only one word to describe how she felt, _magical._

Alex snapped back into work mode and stepped towards Michael, "I see target, 12 o'clock talking to some people. Should I commence mission?"

Alex pulled back, planting a soft kiss on his cheek before twirling around.

Michael felt his cheek where she had kissed him but Alex wasn't bothered by it. After all they were meant to look like a married couple.

"You know, to make it look real," Alex confirmed for Michael.

* * *

For ten more minutes they danced. Michael was spinning her around and Alex was just enjoying herself so it was a shock when Michael said underneath his breath, "Target coming this way. Commence Maria."

Alex stopped Allan Shipponi and plastered the biggest smile she could on her face. She stuck her hand out for him but instead of shaking it he brought it up to his lips and kissed it. Michael squared his jaw but looked elsewhere for something to do.

"Ah, bravo! Who do we have here?" Allan Shipponi asked in his thick Italian accent.

"Hi, I'm Maria," Alex lied as she tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear, which Michael found strangely charming.

"You must be Allan. So nice to meet you. This is my husband Sam." Alex smiled pulling Michael in closer to her before he wandered off checking out security detail or something.

Alan shook Michael's hand firmly and said, " Nice to meet you. You are a very lucky man," He winked looking at Alex. She blushed. "Is it Sam or Samuel?"

Michael nodded and said, "Nice to meet you too. No, Sam is fine."

Alex lowered her voice so Michael had to strain to hear and said to Allan Shipponi, "I was just wondering if I could talk to you about doing some business."

Allan passed a glance to Michael and he bowed his head very subtly in agreement.

"Yes of course. Come right this way," Allan said in a hushed tone.

He led Alex to the next room and as she left Michael noticed her fingers crossed behind her back.

He said into his earpiece, "The target is on the move. I repeat, Alex is with the target."

All Michael could do was wait there nervously to see if Alex came back. Or didn't.

* * *

Alex trailed behind Allan Shipponi carefully so she didn't trip on her dress.

"So, what kind of business is it that you're looking for?" He asked.

Suddenly Alex felt sick.

_Oh, god. I don't think I can do this! Help. I wish Nikita was here to help. Okay Alex, calm down you'll be okay. Just breathe._

"Word on the street is you can get me some pretty good quality substances," she played along.

"Ah, yes. I see what you mean. I'll be right back."

Allan Shipponi walked toward his briefcase. The music from the other room pounded through her head. _This is it. _Alex lifted up her dress and pulled a gun from her lace holster and walked up to him. Before he had a chance to turn around Alex freaked out and hit him over the head with the gun.

_Oh, no. Oh, god. That was not meant to happen! What the hell am I going to do now?_

Allan Shipponi stumbled to the ground but he staggered up and struck Alex in the face. Before he could do her any more harm she pointed the gun at him and shouted, "Don't you move!"

Allan got down on his knees and puts his hands above his head, in silence.

Images from the first time she went on a kill job with Nikita flashed through her head._ She_ was meant to be the one that killed the drug smuggler but she backed out of it. She remembered the feeling of the gun in her hands the day she killed Thom. She gulped. She knew if she didn't kill him she would either be killed herself or stay a recruit and then she would have no way of contacting Nikita and completing their mission.

_Breathe._

The gun clicked.

_Three, two, one._

Bang. Alex pulled the trigger and he fell to the floor like a fish flopping for air.

Outside the room Michael breathed a sigh of relief.

"Go, go, go," she said to herself fumbling about in his pockets. She pulled out two phones looking at them in desperation. She didn't have time to choose which one to take, so she took both of them and slipped round the corner just as security burst into the room.

Unnoticed, Alex slipped back into the ballroom and walked back up to Michael to continue their dance.

Michael breathed, "Well done! Have you got the phone?"

Alex held up the phones.

"Bonus I got two," she replies.

Michael secretly slipped them into his pocket.

"Dammit," he said.

"What?"

"He hit you," Michael pointed out to Alex.

"Oh, right. It was nothing. It didn't hurt that much."

Michael pulled down his sleeve and wiped away the blood from Alex's nose.

"I'm glad you're okay," he smiles.

"Yeah, me too."

Alex froze and looked at Michael and was about to say something when unexpectedly he tipped her back and kissed her, brushing his lips against hers and he held her there for what seemed like forever.

The security ran past, but Alex didn't notice anything. She stared at Michael.

Michael says, "Security. I didn't want them to notice you."

"Can we leave now?" Alex breathed feeling slightly light headed.

Michael led Alex out of the ballroom with a strong arm but inside he had butterflies. He hadn't had butterflies since he was a teenager, he was confused by the kiss. Sure it had been a distraction but he couldn't get it out of his mind.

* * *

Back at Division after Alex dressed back into her pyjamas, Michael went to say goodnight.

Michael started, "Congratulations Alex. You are no longer a recruit. Percy asked me to pass word onto you that he was very impressed with how you handled yourself today. You are now officially a Field Agent. Percy, Amanda and I will fill you in on it tomorrow but for now you should probably get some rest."

"Well I'm glad!"

Michael looked proudly at Alex and said, "Goodnight Alex."

Before he could leave Alex said, "Michael, at the party when you kissed…"

Michael lied, "Like you said before it was to make it look real."

But he knew it was much more than that.

Alex sighed, "Goodnight, Michael."

Michael was disappointed that she didn't bother to question him further. It was one of the things he loved about her. He didn't know what to feel but he cared too much about Alex and her safety to find out.


	5. Freedom

**I don't own Nikita or any of its characters etc.**

_

* * *

__I think I have officially converted myself into a Malex fan now! Sorry this chapter is shorter than the rest but there is a cliff-hanger. If you read please leave a review._

_

* * *

__Why are you looking for love  
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough  
To where will you go child  
Tell me where will you run  
To where will you run_

Alex turned up the volume on her stereo as she sped down the country lane. The wind whipped through her hair and the sun shone down on her back, warming her soft skin.

_And I'll be by your side  
Wherever you fall  
In the dead of night  
Whenever you call  
And please don't fight  
These hands that are holding you  
My hands are holding you_

Alex smiled to herself as she passed the trees that towered over the road and the sun peeked through the branches, saying hello.

She turned a corner and pulled up at large house that was surrounded by at least an acre of grass. As she parked her car into the driveway a young man came out of the next house to greet her.

"Hi," he said giving her an amazing smile. "You must be the new girl. I'm Nathan, your neighbor."

Alex blushed. Nathan was at least six feet tall and not that bad looking.

"Hey," she said shaking his hand. "I'm Alex, nice to meet you."

"So, what brings you to this part of the countryside," he asked her leaning against her car.

"Work," she said vaguely.

"Nice. What type of work?"

"Government," she responded.

Alex had to be careful if she didn't want to blow her cover.

"Oh really. What branch?" He was clearly impressed by her.

"Ha ha. I'm not at obligation to tell you I'm afraid,"

"Well, aren't you secretive? I hope you enjoy your house anyway. It's pretty amazing inside. If you ever, you know, wanna come round for drinks then my house is always free," he tried to turn on the charm but Alex shrugged it off.

"I probably can't. Work and that," She lied to him, but the truth was she couldn't get Michael out of her head.

"Ah, work," he seemed disappointed that she had rejected him but he smiled. "Have fun."

He walked away, waving at Alex as he left.

* * *

Pulling the keys to her brand new house out of the pocket of her designer jacket, she opened the door and turned on the lights.

_Oh my god._

"Wow," she breathed unable to believe her luck. The house was amazing compared to Division, compared to anything. The chandelier in the living room reflected off every shiny surface and the furniture was top of the line.

Alex took off her jacket and put it down with her keys on a glass stand that stood next to the front door.

The focal point of the room was a cast iron spiral staircase that led to the upstairs of the house and it was absolutely gorgeous.

"Yes!" Alex screamed jumping around, dancing and admiring her new house. _Her _house.

_Upstairs,_ she thought.

Alex ran up the stairs, round and round until she appeared on the top floor. There was a long corridor with doors on either side of the white walls. She picked randomly and opened the first door to her right.

_I guess this is my room._

The room was huge but Alex ran straight for the closet. She opened it but it was so packed full of designer clothes that they almost fell out on her.

She explored the rest of the room, in a daze at how stunning everything was.

_Nice,_ she thought as she opened up a door that led to an en-suite bathroom.

Alex froze. She heard someone move behind her and she swung round to kick them but before she could stop she realized who it was. Luckily the person had enough training to move out of the way.

* * *

"Nikita!" She screamed practically jumping towards her.

"Hi," Nikita hugged Alex and then held onto her arms. "How you holding up? Welcome to freedom."

"It amazing," Alex said taking everything in. "I can't believe Division would give me something like this!"

"Well," Nikita replied. "Michael probably pulled a few strings for you."

"Wait, Michael did this?"

"Well probably. Can you really imagine it was Percy or Amanda?" Nikita laughed.

Nikita smiled at Alex. Oh how she had missed her. Alex was like a sister to her and she felt extremely protective towards her. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a present.

"For you," she said. "As a kind of house warming present."

"Thanks."

Alex opened up the small box that Nikita had given her. Inside was a delicate necklace in the shape of a heart. The outside rim was outlined in tiny diamonds and in the middle of the heart was engraved, _Alex._

She flipped the necklace over and on the other side was engraved a simple, _N._

"It's beautiful," Alex uttered so moved she was almost in tears.

"I thought you'd like it," Nikita smiled. "You may have more freedom now Alex but never forget who you really are, okay?"

Alex nodded and gave Nikita another hug.

"Wow Alex, careful," Nikita laughed.

"I'm sorry I'm just so happy to see you. Wait, what are you doing here?"

_

* * *

__Three hours earlier._

Alex sat by herself in the canteen eating her last ever breakfast as a recruit.

She looked up to see Jayden glowering down at her, "Hi, Alex. You know it's funny."

"What's funny Jayden?" Alex was in too much in a good mood to be dealing with Jayden.

"I've been here longer than you and you become a Field Agent before me. Doesn't that strike you as just a little bit suspicious? We both know you're not cut out for it so you must have done some pretty damn bad things to get it."

Before she could retaliate a guard called out, "Alex, Percy wants to see you in his office."

"Well, bye Jayden. I hope you have fun in those pyjamas," Alex sniggered tugging at Jayden's sweatshirt.

Jayden muttered something incomprehensible and walked away. Alex had finally beaten her.

Alex looked at the pristine grey hallways once last time as she followed the guard to Percy's office. She had only been in Percy's office once before and that was after Nikita escaped from Division.

Percy was already there, waiting for her with a smile on his face. Alex looked around the room and saw Amanda standing on the other side. But no Michael.

"Congratulations young recruit. After your efforts yesterday you have moved up a level in Division to Field Agent. But I suppose Michael already told you that yesterday?" Percy said to Alex sounding the least bit like he cared about what he was actually saying.

Alex said, "Yes, he did. Where is Michael by the way? I thought he was coming to fill me in as well."

Percy looked blankly at her and replied, "Ah, yes. Michael. He was called away on a mission very early this morning but sends his congratulations."

_A mission? Why didn't he tell me last night?_

Alex's heart sunk. She deeply wanted Michael to say goodbye to her and congratulate her properly. To tell her he was proud of her. Instead he had left her.

"Oh, okay," Alex said, hiding her disappointment form Percy and Amanda.

"Now Alex," Percy started. "There are a few things about being a Field Agent you need to know before we can let you go. First. Just because you have a new house and car outside of Division you will still report to us, and you will still be activated for missions."

"Of course."

Then something Percy said got her excited.

"Did you just say my own house and car?" Alex questioned him daring to believe the words that had just come out of his mouth.

Percy held up two sets of keys and tossed then to Alex. She caught them and spun around to look at Amanda but she nodded for Alex to turn back to Percy.

"Secondly. You will have no contact with anyone inside of Division unless you are brought in for debriefing."

Alex's heart sank further.

_Michael._

"And thirdly?" Alex asked Percy, ignoring the tears in her eyes.

"And thirdly. You must have a cover. You cannot be Alex who just graduated from Division. You are Alex, who works in a branch of the government. So, that's why you must always dress appropriately. Amanda has already been to your house and set up a wardrobe that suits your cover."

The thought of Amanda being in Alex's house kind of creeped her out.

Amanda butted in, "Obviously you can't leave Division in those terrible pyjamas. So here is a change of clothes. Change them before you leave please."

Amanda handed Alex the box of clothes.

"Thank you," Alex said, hoping Amanda had packed her something nice.

Alex turned back to Percy who said, "You are free to leave any time today, just make sure you pack up your things."

"Thank you," Alex said again.

Alex held her head up high as she walked back through the canteen, fully changed. Everyone congratulated the girl who had managed to progress so fast. She was stopped by Jayden.

"Yeah, congratulations," She said sarcastically.

Alex just sighed because she knew she didn't have to deal with her anymore. She left Division with two guards and she felt amazing.

_

* * *

__Three hours later._

Alex nodded and gave Nikita another hug.

"Wow Alex, careful," Nikita laughed.

"I'm sorry I'm just so happy to see you. Wait, what are you doing here?"

Nikita looked upset, "Alex, it's Michael. He's in trouble."


	6. I Love You

**I don't own Nikita or any of its characters etc.**

_

* * *

__Hey, I'm sorry for leaving the last chapter on a cliff-hanger but it felt like it needed it as a platform for the next chapter. Hope you enjoy this chapter and Happy Holidays!_

* * *

"What do you mean Michael's in trouble?" Alex said warily.

Nikita sighed, "He was due to come back from his last mission and check in with Division an hour ago."

Alex was doubtful of the words Nikita was saying, "So what? He's a little bit late. How do you even know that? I thought you didn't have contact with anybody inside of Division anymore."

"Alex, I know a lot of people, a lot of places and I managed to get a hold of some intel on Division's latest mission and Michael never came back."

Alex was in disbelief, Michael was great at missions. Why would he suddenly fail one? She said, "Where is he Nikita?"

Alex shook Nikita but Nikita just looked down at the floor watching Alex's feet shuffle around nervously. Reluctantly she told Alex, "He went to an abandoned warehouse somewhere near the mountains to catch a group of terrorists who have weapons stored there. And kill their leader."

"Oh shit."

Alex started to pace around the round. She said hysterically, "Have Division been notified."

Nikita shook her head, "Alex you have to understand. It's usual for a mission like this to take longer than expected so they won't be worried for at least another twenty-four hours."

Alex couldn't believe this was happening, to Michael of all people.

She stuttered, "Well… well we… well we have to go save him right?"

Nikita shook her head again, "No Alex. You have to go and save him. We didn't work this hard just for your cover to get blown on the first day. Can you imagine what would happen if Michael found out you were working with me to bring down Division?"

"But I can't! What if something goes wrong? I mean I could probably do it if it wasn't Michael I was trying to save."

Nikita looked at Alex in a strange way that made Alex realise how what she had said sounded.

She lied to Nikita, "You know because he trained me and I know him. It would be different if it was a complete stranger."

Nikita just looked at Alex in a way only a sister or a best friend could. She held Alex's hands and said, "I believe in you Alex. More than you could ever know and I know it will be hard, I'm not saying it won't be. But I have faith in you that you will be able to complete the mission fine."

"But I don't have any weapons yet. Percy said I would get some when I needed them for my first mission as a Field Agent."

"Well then, you're in luck," Nikita said pulling a case of weapon's from underneath Alex's bed.

Nikita smirked, "Pick your poison."

Alex's dainty fingers felt across the cold weapons until they stopped when she came across the one she wanted. She took a knife and a pistol as well.

Nikita said, "Good choice, I trained you well."

Alex looked up at Nikita and smiled.

"I researched into it a little bit for you," Nikita said. "Most of the terrorists gather there at night so you should probably go there in the day."

"This day?"

Nikita nodded.

Alex started freaking out, "Oh god. I don't think I'm ready!"

Nikita gestured Alex over and said softly, "Here."

Alex walked over to Nikita and she put the necklace around her neck.

Nikita said, "Now I'll be there with you."

Suddenly Alex started to cry. Nikita was shocked. The only other time she had seen Alex cry, was when she had first taken her to clean her up and train her.

Alex was a tough girl so whatever was making her cry must have been important.

"Are you okay?" Nikita asked, resting a hand on Alex's shoulder.

Alex nodded and said, "I was just so happy to finally get out of Division and then something like this happens and it's all down to me to handle it. Why can't you go and save Michael?"

Nikita laughed a laugh not dissimilar to Michael's and said, "Alex, I don't think Michael will be very happy to see me after I fought a whole room of his recruits."

Alex laughed through her tears and thought for a minute.

After a while she finally said, "Okay. I'll do it. For our mission."

_And for Michael,_ she thought.

But she was careful to keep that in her head.

* * *

Alex passed through the dark trees that belonged to the forest. The beautiful purple mountains towered higher than the trees and Alex couldn't help but be astounded. It was so beautiful, why would someone want to store weapons and other deadly things in such a serene place?

She passed the waterfall Nikita told her about and she drove past the stream that twisted and turned down the rocks.

Alex looked around but she couldn't see a warehouse anywhere. She pulled up at a building site to see if there was anyone to ask about it but it was abandoned and the lack of rain lately had turned the soil into more of a desert.

The sun was high and Alex noticed something glistening on the ground in the building site.

She got out of her car and pushed the heavy, metal gates aside. She walked to where she had seen the glimmer and kicked the sand aside with her foot. It was a secret entrance. So that meant the warehouse was underground.

A shiver went up her spine. _Michael could be under there for ages and nobody would find him,_ she thought.

Alex went back to the car to pick up her weapons. She put the pistol in the back pocket of her trousers and she tucked the knife into her boots. Alex slung the gun over the shoulder and headed back for the secret door.

* * *

She opened up the door and coughed as a strong chemical smell hit her nostrils. She covered her mouth and nose with her jacket and climbed down the pitch black shaft with a torch in her mouth.

As she reached the bottom of the shaft a dim light broke through the darkness and she switched off her torch.

The warehouse itself was huge but in the centre of the room was an area surrounded by plastic curtains, making it difficult for her to see through.

Alex hid round the corner and tried to listen to what they were saying but they were speaking another language. Then one of them seemed to get really angry and he hit another man who was sat in a chair.

That's when she heard his deep voice echoing through the curtains. It was Michael, they had Michael.

Alex dared to sneak a peek through a slit in the curtain. Michael was battered and bruised and he had blood running from his nose. His hands were tied behind the chair and he was so tired he could barely hold his head up straight.

Alex had to think quickly but she didn't know what to do.

There were at least five hostiles in there with Michael. Blowing it up was not an option. She had to take them down one by one and quickly.

If she was fast enough she could probably kill them all without them doing too much damage returning fire.

She stuck her head out to take another look and decided to start with the one furthest away from Michael.

She cocked her gun, breathed and aimed.

Alex fired a single bullet and it hit the target.

Alex might not have been able to understand what the people inside the perimeter were saying but they were panicking and certainly not happy.

_Bang._

Another one fell down.

Alex aimed for the third kill but her gun jammed.

Bullets ripped through the plastic sheeting, narrowly missing Alex as she whipped round the corner for cover.

She tossed her gun aside in frustration and pulled out the pistol from her pocket.

She fired back and shot another hostile.

The two remaining hostiles held a gun to Michael's head and said in English, "Tell whoever it is to stop!"

Michael shouted back, "I don't know who it is!"

Alex knew she had to be quick and she fired carelessly and hit a box of explosives.

The whole room was alight with a bright white explosion. Alex screamed Michael's name above the noise.

The explosion took down the two remaining hostiles but she didn't hear a word from Michael.

Alex ran into the room and saw Michael sat there, looking at her.

* * *

"Alex?" He said in disbelief.

Alex ran up to Michael and asked, "Are you okay? You should have told me you were going away. You didn't even say goodbye."

Michael looked up at Alex apologetically, "I know, I'm sorry. But can we just get out of here now?"

Alex heard a crash above her and the room started to fall down. Rubble came from the roof and poured on Alex and Michael as she was untying him from the chair.

Alex coughed and spluttered.

She shouted, "Come on Michael. Let's go!"

She pulled the last bit of rope from his wrists and tried to drag him from his chair.

But he was unconscious.

Alex slapped his face repetitively and screamed, "Come on Michael!"

_No, no, no. Please no._

Michael's eyes fluttered open but he was in a daze.

Alex started to cry and said, "Please Michael. I love you."

His eyes smiled at her and he blacked out again.

She slapped him even harder, finding it hard to control her emotions.

Every moment they had spent together flashed in her mind and she realised just how much he meant to her.

Michael opened his eyes again and Alex said, "Oh thank god you're okay Michael."

She leaned in and kissed him, grasping his hands.

But Alex couldn't enjoy the moment for very long and she dragged him up from the chair and supported him on her shoulder. The warehouse started to fall down all around them as they left. Pipes sprayed water around the room but it wasn't enough to put out the fire and soon the heat in the room became unbearable.

Alex pushed Michael up the ladder first and switched on her torch, pushing him up as she climbed up behind him.

"Quickly," Alex shouted up to Michael.

They made it up to the surface and Alex dragged Michael to her car, resting him against the boot.

They watched as the old warehouse collapsed in on itself, bringing down some of the surrounding area with it.

* * *

After catching his breath Michael finally asked Alex, "Alex! What are you doing here?"

"Saving you. What does it look like?"

Michael sighed, "Yes. But how did you know I was going to be here?"

Alex lied, "I overheard you and Percy talking about it last night."

She pulled out her phone and dialled for an ambulance.

Michael said, "I'm fine really. You don't need to ring an ambulance."

He winced as he tried to take the phone away from her but she pulled away from him.

Alex said, "Don't be stupid. Look at you. You were tortured, almost blown up and you can barely stand up by yourself."

* * *

Back at the hospital Alex checked in on Michael.

"How you doing?" she asked.

Michael mouthed, "Fine."

He looked at her for a few seconds thinking about what she had said back at the warehouse. Had he heard her right? Was he delusional?

He said, "Alex. Thank you."

Alex said, "No problem. I'm just glad you didn't die."

Alex laughed nervously.

"It's not like you to fail a mission. What happened?"

"I guess I just got… distracted," Michael remembered.

Michael pointed to the chair next to her and she sat down.

He grabs her hand and links his fingers with hers.

Alex breathed in.

Michael said, "What you said at the warehouse?"

Alex stroked his head and shushed him.

Michael turned his head away slightly and before he drifted off to sleep Alex heard him whisper, "I love you too."

Alex squeezed his hand and leaned back in the chair. She went to sleep with a smile on her face.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Awww... don't you just love a happy ending? :)


	7. In At The Deep End

**I don't own Nikita or any of its characters etc. **

**

* * *

**_Merry Christmas everyone! I'm glad you liked the last chapter. I absolutely LOVE Malex. I used to be a Mikita fan but I think Malex have way more chemistry! Hope you enjoy this chapter. If you read please review. _

* * *

Alex woke up in the strangely comfortable chair next to Michael's hospital bed. She looked down at their hands which were still linked.

"Michael?" Alex asked but he was fast asleep so she slipped her hand out of his and headed to go get them both some coffee.

As soon as she left the room Michael's sleepy eyelids fluttered open and the first words to come out of his mouth were, "Alex?"

The nurse who was adjusting his saline dip turned round and said to Michael, "She just left."

"Do you know where?"

"No, sorry," the nurse replied turning back around to carry on with her work.

Michael laid his head back down on the pillow and tried to get some more sleep but unfortunately Percy came in to check on him.

"How are you feeling Michael?" Percy asked in his usual deep drone.

"Fine now."

Percy looked at Michael's injuries. They were far more than what he should have got from the mission. Percy looking genuinely concerned for once and asked, "What happened?"

Michael sat up straighter, "Something went wrong. The terrorist group captured me and held me against my will."

Percy tried to fit the pieces together but they just weren't fitting right. He asked Michael, "Well how did you manage to escape?"

Alex came back with the coffee and saw Percy talking to Michael. If Percy knew Alex was with Michael then she would have to answer Percy's questions and there would be hell to pay. She put the coffee down on a table outside of the hospital room and left without letting Michael know.

Michael answered Percy's question, "When I had the chance I created a distraction and then everything else just sort of happened. I can't remember a lot of it, it's too much of a daze."

Michael was trying to protect Alex from Division. If they knew she found out about certain information about a mission they would think she was a liability and most probably have her cancelled.

Percy was suspicious of Michael's story. How was it possible for him to escape all by himself?

"And you didn't have any help?" Percy questioned Michael.

Michael feigned a look of confusion, "No. From who?"

"Never mind," Percy said as he left the room.

Michael breathed a sigh of relief and caught a knowing look from the nurse who turned around pretending she hadn't heard Michael lie to Percy.

Michael smiled to himself as he looked at the hand that Alex had held for so long the previous night.

* * *

The next day after Michael had recovered enough to leave he went to visit Alex.

His footsteps crunched on the pebbles as he walked up her driveway and approached the door.

Inside, Alex was blasting music on her iPod, dancing around and singing rather badly, so she was oblivious to the fact that Michael had just rang the doorbell.

He tried to ring the doorbell again but there was still no reply.

_Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong._

Michael started to get impatient after he rang the doorbell for the fifth time.

He walked over to her front window and looked through to see Alex dancing around. Michael laughed and banged on the window.

Alex looked up from her dancing and saw Michael at the window. She took out both of her earphones at the same time and threw her iPod on the sofa.

Alex breathed in sharply as she walked over to the door nervously.

She opened the door to Michael and he leaned against her door frame with a smile on his face.

"Michael," Alex said.

"Can I come in or would you rather get back to your dancing?" Michael teased Alex. He loved to watch her try not to laugh at one of his bad jokes or teases.

"Sure," she said leading him into the house. Michael whistled. He admired his surroundings, "Pretty nice."

He shut the door behind him but before it could even click shut the doorbell rang again.

"I'll get it," Michael called out before Alex could tell him not to.

Stood in front of Michael looking rather intimidated was Nathan.

"Hi, is Alex there? I'm Nathan."

Michael turned to look at Alex but she just shrugged her shoulders. "No, I'm afraid she's not. She's busy doing work."

Michael examined Nathan. He was tall, Michael would give him that but he stunk of cologne that teenagers wear and he dressed like he was in college.

"Who are you?" Michael asked.

"I'm her neighbour. Wait a minute. Are you like her boss and you work in the government too?"

"Yeah. Something like that."

Michael decided he had enough talking to Nathan so he shut the door in his face and walked back to Alex.

She gave him a wide eyed stare and said plainly, "That was rude."

"Well you're busy now," Michael replied with a cheeky grin on his face.

* * *

"Can I help you with something?" Alex asked looking at Michael wondering what he was doing there.

Alex tried to play it cool because she didn't know whether or not Michael remembered what happened or what they had sais to each other.

Michael laughed and said, "Breakfast?"

He held up coffee and doughnuts from behind his back.

Alex gasped, "That's not breakfast!"

She was so used to eating healthy meals at Division and Nikita always gave her protein shakes and fruit smoothies to keep her healthy and to keep her energy up in case she was needed suddenly for a mission.

Michael joked, "It is if I say it is. I officially declare this doughnut edible."

Alex reached out and grabbed a donut from the box, licking the sugar off it as she rotated it around her mouth.

"Mmmm. That is one good doughnut," Alex smiled as Michael passed her a cup of coffee.

They sat down at the table together and chatted and ate their food.

When they were finished Alex got up to put their rubbish away.

She asked, "Do you remember anything about last night?"

Michael got up to help her, throwing the empty coffee cups in the bin.

"I remember some things. But, you know, a hit on the head can affect someone's memory."

Alex hinted, "What things do you remember?"

Michael looked down at the floor and then up at Alex through his eyelashes.

He said to her in his low, irresistible voice, "Well, there is one thing I can't get out of my head."

Alex's heart was beating fast but she managed to say, "Oh really? Me too."

Michael grabbed hold of her arms so she couldn't move and he spun her around so her back was against the wall. He leaned in really close to her and said, " This have anything to do with it?"

Michael kissed Alex so passionately she felt like her whole body was on fire and he pushed her harder against the wall.

Alex pulled away and said, "Maybe."

Michael smiled at Alex and kissed her again. Sweeter this time.

Alex said, "How are we going to make this work Michael? I mean you're with Division and I'm a Field Agent."

Michael looked at her with sad eyes.

Alex said, "We both know what happens when you have a relationship inside of Division."

Michael looked at her seriously and said, "Alex. I meant what I said before."

Alex blinked because Michael had a way of looking at her that made her melt, " I meant it too."

"Well then I guess we'll have to make it work," Michael replied.

He tucked a strand of Alex's hair behind her ear and noticed her necklace.

"Wow, that's beautiful," Michael said.

He examined it and turned it over. Alex bit her lip, waiting for him to say something.

Michael looked confused and said, "_N_ for Nathan?"

Alex laughed and said, "No Michael. Not _N_ for Nathan. _N_ is the initial of the guy who made this."

Alex hated lying to him and she wished she didn't have to but she had to complete her mission and hopefully one day she would be able to tell him.

Alex asked, "Is there anything else you wanted?"

Michael said, "No. Just came to see you."

Alex smiled at Michael. She was so happy that they had finally admitted their feelings for each other and they could finally relax.

* * *

Nikita walked up to the driveway and was about to knock on the door when she noticed Michael there with Alex.

She watched them as Michael kissed Alex on the cheek and headed to the door to leave.

Nikita hid round the corner and as Michael left she wanted to tell him not to break her heart but she didn't because then he would know they were working together and that would break his.

She waited a few minutes and then knocked on the door.

Alex opened the door and said, "Hi Nikita. Come in."

Nikita said, "Thanks."

Nikita sat down at the table where Alex and Michael had sat a minute ago.

Nikita sighed, "What are you doing Alex?"

"What do you mean?" Alex said.

Nikita said one word but it was enough for Alex to know that Nikita knew, "Michael."

Alex said shyly, "Oh. You saw that?"

Nikita said, "I saw him kiss you on the cheek and the last time I checked that wasn't in the job description."

Alex said, "I'm sorry."

Nikita shook her head and said, "Don't be. Just be careful. I know what it's like to love someone and then have your heart broken when something happens."

Alex smiled but she looked sad, "He told me he loved me Nikita. I don't know how long I will be able to keep it a secret from him."

Nikita nodded understandingly and said, "Long enough Alex, long enough for Michael to want to do whatever you do. To want to go wherever you go."

They both sat there in silence for a minute, thinking. Alex said, "Who did you lose Nikita?"

Nikita's eyes glazed over, "Daniel. Division had him killed because we got too close."

She changed the subject and said, "At least our mission to rescue Michael went well. Though not as expected. Well done by the way."

Alex laughed and Nikita joined in. Alex felt so good that Nikita wasn't judgemental and didn't disapprove. She was just happy for Alex.

Alex asked, "So, why did you need to come and see me?"

Nikita said, "We have someone else helping us as well now. He's called Owen and became my partner on the outside when you were still in Division. He wants to bring down Division for the same reason we do Alex. They killed his family because we tried to get rid of a black box."

"Can we trust him?" Alex wondered out loud.

Nikita thought for a minute. Could she still trust Owen? After all he killed her fiancé.

Nikita replied, "Yeah. I think we can."

* * *

"So… Can I meet him?"

"Yes," said Nikita. "He should been here soon actually."

Like Nikita was psychic, the doorbell rang for the third time that day.

"That must be him," Nikita said.

She jumped out of her seat and opened the door to let Owen in.

Owen was tall. He had fair hair and was extremely muscular.

_No wonder Nikita chose him,_ Alex thought.

Nikita introduced them, "Owen, Alex. Alex, Owen."

Owen smiled at her and his smile was surprisingly warm and friendly compared to his appearance.

Alex and Owen shook each other's hands.

Owen looked around and said, "Wow. This place is pretty sweet."

"Thanks," Alex said. "Everyone says that but I appreciate it."

Nikita and Owen sat down at the table next to each other and Alex sat opposite them.

She watched them and smirked.

Alex asked, "Are you two, you know?"

Nikita and Owen both look at each other and then back at Alex.

Nikita laughed, "Us?"

Owen said, "Please, she's not my type. I prefer my girls who don't try to kill me whenever I sneak up behind them."

Nikita punched Owen but she accidently hit him a little too hard. He grabbed his arm and complained, "Ow!"

"Sorry," Nikita said.

Alex just looked at them and said, "Uh huh. Whatever you say."

Nikita blushed.

Alex said, "So. Is there any particular reason Owen is here? I mean, no offence but I had a pretty long day yesterday and I'm tired."

Nikita looked and Alex and said, "Yes. We found another black box."

That piece of information certainly woke Alex up.

"Really? Where?" She said, interested in what they had to say next.

Owen laughed and said, "At the bottom of a river."

Alex said, "Okay? Well that should be easy to get right? We just get on our wellies, paddle in and pick it up?"

Nikita said, "Alex. Owen didn't mean a little stream. He meant a really deep river. We're going scuba diving."

Alex looked shocked, "Really? How did it end up there?"

Nikita looked at Owen who replied, "Erm, I killed the guy who was looking after it on the bridge and he kind of fell in with it."

Alex stared at the guy. He was like a machine.

She said, "Wow you're pretty bad ass."

Owen chuckled, "Why thank you."

* * *

The wind hit Alex's face and the fishy water sprayed her in the face as she sped along in the boat they had all hired.

She asked, "Are you sure this is okay?"

Nikita reassured her, "It's completely safe as long as you stick by us and don't come up to the surface too fast."

Alex said, "Got it."

They dived in backwards one by one like cans falling off a wall and when they were under they signalled each other, _okay._

They searched around in the murky water until Alex pointed to something that she saw.

It was the guardian of the black box but the black box wasn't with him.

Owen shook his head and Nikita signalled to keep on searching.

The three of them swam around looking for anything that resembled a black box. A few hundred metres from where they started they discovered a cave. Alex and Owen swam inside the pitch black darkness while Nikita waited outside.

Owen held a torch above Alex while she started digging round in the sand. She started to get frustrated and was about to leave when her fingers came across something hard.

She dug it out of the pile of sand it was buried in and pulled out a black box. Owen and Alex swam out of the cave and she signalled to Owen and Nikita that she had it.

They swam back to the surface and pulled their masks off while they were treading the water to stay afloat.

Owen asked, "How the hell did the black box get into the bottom of a cave?"

"Probably got taken there by a shark," Nikita pointed out.

Owen said to Alex, "Nice work."

Alex nodded at him and said, "You too."

Nikita threw the black box onto the boat and climbed up after it, followed by Alex and Owen.

She took out her gun, shot it and then put her gun away again.

Nikita said, "Another one down."

Alex said, "Wait a minute. What's that?"

She bent down to get a closer look at the black box. Nikita peered over Alex at the black box, confused.

Owen bent down next to Alex and said, "Oh yeah. I see it."

He reached into the tangled mess of wires and pulled out a bit of paper. He passed it to Nikita.

The note said,

_Nikita. Did you actually think you could outsmart me? Percy._

"Dammit!" Nikita shouted. Owen and Alex both turned round to look at Nikita because she hardly ever shouted.

Nikita said angrily, "It was a dud. Percy set us up."

Owen said, "Which means Division will be on its way right now."

Nikita shouted, "Quickly Alex, get out of here!"

Nikita practically pushed Alex off the boat and she started to swim back to shore.

Nikita and Owen pulled out their guns and she took them both facing the opposite way to Owen as he drove the boat away.

* * *

Back at her house Alex was trying to dry her hair when the phone rang.

She walked over the phone and picked it up, continuing to attack the ends of her hair as she spoke into the phone.

Alex said, "Hello?"

Michael said, "Hello Alex. I'm at Division."

That was code for, they couldn't talk about them because Percy or Birkhoff might be listening.

He continued, "I've got some news."

"What is it?" Alex asked.

Michael said, "You've been activated for another mission."

"What already?" Alex said exasperated. "What happened to having a break?"

Michael said, "Sorry Alex I don't make the rules."

"What's the mission?" Alex asked.

Michael said, "Nikita was recently spotted with a man called Owen. I presume they were trying to find a black box that Percy had set up as bait for them. You'll be on the mission with me."

Alex started to worry. She could hardly help Nikita escape if Michael was there with her, but there was absolutely no way she would hurt Nikita.

She said, "What's the objective?"

Michael said, "Take Nikita down. I'll fill you in tomorrow afternoon."

Then the phone went dead.

Alex didn't hear anything Michael said after the words, _take Nikita down._

_Shit, how am I supposed to get out of this?_ Alex thought, flopping onto the sofa.


	8. Decision Time

**I don't own Nikita or any of its characters etc.**

**

* * *

**_I think I've been writing too much about Nikita because I dreamed about it last night. So, anyway here it is. My eighth chapter! Hope you enjoy. This is quite a long chapter but I decided to do it that way instead of breaking it down into a few chapters because it helped the story flow better. The first scene is loosely based on the dream. As always, R&R, thank you._

_

* * *

_

Alex sat at the table with Nikita in silence after she had dropped the bomb of information on Nikita that Michael had told her the other evening.

Nikita brushed her hand through her long hair and half- heartedly told Alex, "It will be okay."

Alex had her head resting in her hands and didn't respond until she felt a warm, gentle hand on her shoulder.

Alex looked up at Nikita and her face was streamed with tears that left her cheeks warm. Her lip quivered slightly as she said in a shaky voice, "What if they hurt you? Or worse, what if _I_ hurt you?"

The torment showed in her eyes and the effects of no sleep really took a toll on her usually bright and cheery appearance.

"Oh god, Michael," Alex remembered. "What is he going to do when he finds out I was the mole after all?"

Alex could barely contain her grief about the whole situation. She had had such a hectic week and it just tipped her off the scales.

She started to blubber, her tears _drip, dropping _and splashing on the glass table made a puddle under her elbows.

Nikita didn't know how to comfort Alex, "Don't worry. He won't find out and you won't have to hurt me. We'll think of something."

"But what if he does?"

Nikita sighed and said, "Well then Alex. If he does find out you just have to hope he meant it when he said he loved you. Because if he does he will love you regardless."

Alex smiled at Nikita, she was such a kind person at heart and always had a way of saying things that made them sound so much better.

Nikita broke the silence that had dawned upon them and clapped her hands, "Well, we better get you ready."

"I'm not doing the mission!" Alex demanded, pointlessly.

Nikita pretended to ignore Alex's outburst and put a fruit smoothie down in front of her even though inside she was hurting just as much. In a way she had always known it would come down to something like this and at the end of the day one of them would be hurt in one way or another. "Here, drink this," Nikita said, nudging the drink towards Alex.

Alex looked at the fruit smoothie with defeat, groaned and pushed it away.

She collapsed into her arms and rested her head on the table, she was sleep deprived and was finding it hard to keep her heavy eyelids open.

Nikita racked her brain for ideas and said the first half-decent idea she came up with, "After your debriefing with Michael this afternoon, tell me everything he said. Then when they come for me I can get away without your help and no one will suspect you, okay?"

Nikita knew it was a pretty bad idea but it was the only one she could think of.

Alex groaned, her voice muffled by her arms that were covering her mouth, "But won't that seem weird. I get debriefed about the mission and then when they come for you and you get away like you already knew about it?"

Nikita fired an amused look at the top of Alex's head, "What?"

Alex sighed and lifted her head up slightly and said, "Won't Percy be suspicious?"

Nikita scoffed, "No. I'm way too smart for him anyway. I've escaped from them many times before even before I had your help."

Alex said, "What about Michael? I think he's on a personal mission to bring you down."

Nikita didn't look surprised by Alex's remark, instead she got up from the table and walked to the other side of the room, looking out of the window, "Well he would, wouldn't he?"

Alex felt a pang of jealousy in her chest and it caught her off guard. She had always thought that there was a past to Nikita and Michael but she never dared to ask, until now.

Alex started of slowly, "Nikita. Did you and Michael have a thing? You broke his heart by betraying Division. That's why he wants you dead isn't it?"

* * *

Nikita's eyes started to fill with tears. She had never forgiven herself for what she did to Michael.

Nikita turned to look at Alex "Yeah, I guess we had some chemistry. But you know what Division's like. Michael was loyal to them and so we never took it further than that. Alex, Michael was already broken before he came to Division."

Alex knew Nikita's story, Jayden's, Thom's. But she never knew Michael's.

She said, "What happened to Michael, Nikita? Why was he recruited for Division? Because no one in their right mind would volunteer."

Nikita sat down on the sofa, she clasped her hands and bent her head down, remembering what had happened to Michael and their time on the Kasim mission.

But she had blown any chance of them happening when she betrayed him and shattered the few remaining pieces of his heart. She left Alex to pick up the pieces and now Michael was happy with her.

Nikita flipped her hair back and looked at Alex, "Michael was a Dad, Alex."

Alex's eyes widened in shock. She hadn't seen that one coming.

_Was?_

"Was? What happened?" she asked Nikita out loud.

Nikita was bombarded with images of Michael's story. The images were awful and hard for her to process.

"Hasn't he told you anything?"

Alex shook her head.

_Should I have been told anything?_

Nikita said, "He used to be in the Army and he was out with his family one day when he went to base. He had a friend, Kasim. Kasim betrayed him and was planning to blow up the whole of the base. Michael had no clue. He was supposed to deliver a suitcase that the bomb was hidden in, but he had forgotten the suitcase and left it in the car. The next thing he knew the car blew up and his wife and daughter were killed in the explosion. She was called Hayley."

Alex got up and went to sit next to Nikita.

Nikita whispered shaking her head in disbelief, "She was only three Alex. So, Percy came to him and offered him the job at Division. He also offered him revenge, on the man who did this."

Alex rested her head on Nikita's shoulder, imagining what Hayley would look like. Small, cute. Dark hair and probably the same fascinating eyes as Michael's.

Nikita carried on, "Do you remember when I went on the mission to help Michael?"

Alex nodded.

Nikita said, "Well that was to help him catch the man who killed his family. But then before he could kill him at the airport, in front of everyone and destroy the rest of his life, I stopped him and called the police on him for being suspicious. I betrayed him again. So you can see what I mean by he's broken Alex."

Alex nodded again and looked at Nikita's broken expression, "But you had to. He would have been killed for killing Kasim."

Nikita blinked, holding back her tears and said, "I know. I keep trying to tell myself that, but whenever I think of his sad eyes I can't help but kick myself over doing everything I did. He deserved revenge on Kasim after everything life and I had put him through."

Alex gulped and whispered, "Do you still love him?"

Nikita glanced at Alex and whispered, "No. I don't really love him like that."

Alex was filled with relief. She loved Nikita but she was so beautiful and she knew if she loved Michael, there was a possibility he would eventually go back to her. After all he had loved her first.

Nikita said, "Do I wish I had never hurt him? Yes, every day. Every day I wish I could undo what had happened and make sure he still had his family with him, because family is everything."

A single tear ran down Nikita's face.

Alex said, deep in thought, "Wow. I didn't realise he'd been through so much."

Nikita said, "I'm glad he's got you Alex. But please, try to look after him."

"Always," Alex said.

* * *

_Ding, dong._

Nikita had left about an hour ago and Alex was feeling alone.

She swung the door open and jumped at Michael. He spun her around trying to keep his balance.

He put her back down but she held on, embracing him, smelling the smell that reminded her of the first time he had ever spoken to her.

"Alex?" Michael asked concerned, she still hadn't let go and she was hugging him so tight he found it hard to breathe properly.

"Are you okay?" He looked into her eyes. He could tell that she had been crying.

"Yeah," Alex lied. "I'm just happy to see you, that's all."

She held his hand and they sat down on the sofa. Michael pulled a folder out from inside his blazer and handed it to Alex.

"I'm not supposed to show you this, but I thought it might help you with your mission."

Alex opened up the folder and inside was at least one hundred pages of information on Nikita. Alex was horrified. Did they have a folder for everyone?

Attempted and failed capture: 107

"Thanks," Alex whispered. She put the folder down next to her and laid her head on Michael's chest, listening to his heartbeat.

She wanted to hold him so tight and tell him that she would look after him, that she knew about his family and loved him all the same. She wanted to tell him that it wasn't his fault, he was tricked and he couldn't have prevented it no matter what he tells himself.

Instead she settled on, "I'm sorry."

* * *

"For what?" Michael asked, kissing Alex on the head.

She had done it again. Now she had to lie to Michael, _again._

"I don't think I can do this mission." Alex said to his chest as she stroked his leg in circles with her finger.

"Why?"

"Nikita already tried to kidnap me once, what if she tries to kill me this time."

"You're a Field Agent. Why wouldn't she try to kill you?" Michael said. Alex found it harder and harder to keep her cover with Michael with every lie she told him.

"Thanks!" Alex laughed.

"I'm sorry," Michael said, stroking her head. "I guess that didn't help."

"No, it didn't."

Alex pushed herself up off Michael and sat next to him instead. She put her head on his shoulder under his.

Without looking at Alex Michael said, "If Nikita tries anything I will personally take her down."

"No you won't," Alex replied in a whisper.

_Dammit!_

Alex had opened her big mouth again. It would be so much easier if Michael knew everything but she couldn't bear to lose him.

Now Michael looked at Alex. He pulled away from her and said, "What do you mean?"

Alex looked at him and hoped he couldn't tell she was lying, "At the Estate, when Nikita had me in the shed. She said that you wouldn't do anything stupid because you never have the courage to kill her."

"Why would she tell you that?"

Alex shrugged and said, "I don't know. You tell me."

Michael sighed and said, "Alex. I used to have… _some,_ feelings for her but that ended a long time ago."

"Are you sure?" Alex asked.

"Yes," Michael said, licking his lips. "You're the one I care about Alex, so don't listen to whatever Nikita told you."

He turned his head and kissed her.

Whenever they kissed Alex felt amazing. No guy had ever made her feel that special.

She returned the kiss and pushed Michael down on the sofa. He held onto her back and kissed her down the side of her neck.

"Don't ever stop loving me, will you?" Alex asked Michael as she looked down at him. Their faces were only millimetres apart and she could read every expression on his face.

"I won't," Michael replied, tilting his head up to kiss Alex again. She gave into him and relaxed. He held onto her waist. He stopped.

"I don't want to take it too far," Michael said. He knew if he did and something ever happened to Alex he would die inside.

"Okay," Alex said as she rested her head back on his chest and linked their finger. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

"Alex."

"Alex?"

Alex heard someone calling her name as she slowly opened her eyes. She looked around and saw Michael sitting next to her. Had he been there all along?

"How long have you been here for?" Alex asked.

"I never left."

Alex smiled as she got off the sofa. Michael watched her. He couldn't believe how stunningly beautiful she was. He bit his lip and said, "We're heading off in about twenty minutes."

"Where?" Alex stopped and turned around.

"To do our mission," Michael reminded her.

"Oh, right. Is that today?" Alex yawned.

Michael stood up and walked over to Alex. He put his arms around her, holding her. He whispered in her ear, "Yes. Don't worry, I'll be there with you. I won't let Nikita hurt you."

_It's not her I'm worried about,_ Alex thought.

She pulled away from Michael.

He said, "I'll go and get the weapons ready and wait in the car for you and you should probably go and get ready."

Alex nodded as Michael left the house. She took her phone from her pocket and sent a text to Nikita that said,

_We're leaving in twenty minutes. We'll be at the big library in the centre of town in about 30 minutes. Michael seems to think that's where you'll be._

Less than a minute later she got a reply,

_I'm already there, see you soon. _

Alex ran up the stairs and into her room. She got changed into something comfortable with lots of pockets to conceal weapons in. Which was strange because Nikita would already know everything. She picked up the necklace and kissed it before leaving the house where Michael was waiting for her in his car.

* * *

They pulled up at the library. It was the biggest library in the whole area so Nikita would have a lot of fun running around and hiding behind bookshelves, which is why she probably chose it to hide in.

Michael passed Alex her gun and she hid it in her pocket. There were electronic beepers at the doors so Michael showed the guard his badge and he let them through without a second thought, not realising they were trained assassins.

"Since when do we have badges?" Alex asked.

"We don't," Michael said passing Alex hers. "Birkhoff made these for us, in case we needed them. Which we did obviously."

Michael put his arm in front of Alex to stop her going any further. He thought he had seen Nikita.

Michael signalled for Alex to head to the back of the library and he headed off to look for Nikita near the front doors.

Alex walked in and out of the sections of books, looking for Nikita's boots through the bottoms of the shelves.

_No, no, no. Oh, here we go, _Alex thought.

She slipped around the corner and tapped the woman on the shoulder.

"Nikita," she said.

The woman turned round and shook her head.

"Sorry!" Alex apologised.

She carried on walking admiring all of the old books that were sat on the shelves, untouched.

Alex heard a shuffling in the next aisle so she went over carefully to take a look. Just as she was approaching, Nikita stuck her hand out and dragged Alex around the corner.

"What are you doing?" Alex hissed.

"Where's Michael?" Nikita asked.

Alex replied, "He's at the front of the library, looking for _you. _Don't you think you should hide somewhere instead of just randomly walking around looking at books?"

Nikita heard heavy footsteps walking down the library towards them. She put her books down and pulled out her gun, she said, "Not anymore he isn't."

Nikita stuck her gun through the shelf and starting firing in Michael's direction.

Panicked screams came from everywhere in the room as people rushed out the front doors. Michael shot the guard so he wouldn't call the police and then he shouted, "Alex?"

Nikita turned to Alex and said quickly, "Reply to him and then run away from here in another direction."

"Here!" Alex shouted. "I think I've seen Nikita."

Alex took one last look at Nikita before she ran away, leaving her alone.

Nikita kicked down the shelf and the books went tumbling down. She was exposed to Michael.

"Over here, Michael. Come and get me!" Michael spun around to see Nikita facing him with a gun to his head.

Michael pulled out his gun and pointed it at Nikita, "Don't make me do this Nikita. Because I will. Just turn yourself into Division and don't try to escape this time and you may survive."

"Please," Nikita said to Michael. "And let Amanda and Percy have me? I don't think so."

Michael frowned at Nikita and said, "I'm sorry then but you leave me no choice."

Michael aimed his gun at Nikita and was about to shoot her when he heard Alex scream.

"Help! Michael!"

Michael held his gun on Nikita but shouted back, "Alex? What wrong? Are you okay?"

* * *

"I think you should come look," Alex shouted and then turned to the man who was stood next to her.

"Okay, when he comes, hold your gun to my head. Then Nikita will create a distraction by pushing over another shelf or something. That's when you run. He'll run back to Nikita and I'll run after him. I'll shoot her in the leg but the bullet proof stuff under there will protect her. Then you run and help her up and you two escape."

"Good idea," Owen smiled.

"Let's go," Alex said.

"You stay there," Michael said under his breath to Nikita.

He walked away from her slowly, still pointing his gun at her. When he was satisfied that she wasn't going to move she turned the other direction where Alex's shouting had come from.

"Michael?" Alex asked.

Michael backed up against the shelf and stuck his head round the corner to see Owen with Alex in a headlock and pointing a gun at her head.

"Don't move," he muttered.

At that moment Nikita sent another bookshelf crashing to the ground.

"Shit!" Michael shouted.

Owen let go of Alex and ran around the shelf and past Michael. Michael aimed and fired but Owen was too fast for him and dodged every single bullet.

Michael ran after him and saw him signal to Nikita to leave. Alex ran up to Michael and said to him, "I've got this."

She pulled out her gun from her pocket and aimed perfectly, shooting Nikita in the leg. She fell to the ground and looked at Alex in a way that said, _well done._

Michael stopped Alex and asked her out of breath, "Are you okay? Did that son of a bitch hurt you?"

Alex shook her head and Michael turned back to Nikita but Owen had already picked her up and left without them noticing.

Michael ran his hand through his hair like he always did when he was stressed out.

"I'm sorry," Alex lied. "If I hadn't missed then they wouldn't have gotten away."

"It's not your fault. We didn't know there would be two of them. Come on," Michael growled.

"Where?" Alex asked.

"Division, Percy wants to know how it went."

"Is he going to be pissed? That we didn't catch them?" Alex asked worried that she would get cancelled for not delivering.

"Not if I back you up. Which I will." Michael said putting his arm around Alex's waist and he kissed her on the forehead.

* * *

Back at Division Alex stood in Percy's office with her hands behind her back and Michael stood next to her.

Percy stared at both of them shocked that even they couldn't bring Nikita down.

"Sir, there were two of…" Michael started to say but Percy raised his hand.

"That's enough Michael. I want to hear from Alex."

"Me?" Alex asked taken aback.

"What happened?" Percy asked Alex as she stood there shifting on her feet trying to think of a story that sounded believable to tell Percy.

"Alex?" Percy pushed her to start speaking.

"We entered to library and showed our badges that Birkhoff made to get through the electronic bleepers and past the guard with our weapons. Once we were inside Michael and I spilt up to look for Nikita. I walked around and that's when I heard someone shooting at Michael. Then I heard a loud crash. Nikita had found Michael. I stayed where I was but a man came up behind me. He was tall and grabbed me in a head lock and held a gun to my head. He told me to call Michael over or he would shoot me. I tried to get out of his grasp but he was too strong. So I called Michael. He came over but Nikita managed to escape and the man ran past us. I shot at Nikita but I only shot her in the leg. I'm sorry. I haven't had a lot of sleep lately and I guess my vision was a bit off."

"So you're telling me that two of my best agents couldn't take down this man?" Percy looked suspicious and a bit disappointed.

Michael chipped in, "It was Owen, sir."

That clearly meant a lot to Percy so he said, "Very well. Good try anyway but hopefully we'll have better luck next time. Michael, take Alex back to her house and make sure she gets some sleep. Then come back to Division."

Michael nodded and said, "Yes, sir."

He put his hand on Alex's shoulder and guided her out of the room.

* * *

Alex fell asleep in the car on the way home, and Michael put a blanket on her so she wouldn't get cold.

He woke her up when they arrived at her house.

He walked her up to her door and said, "Alex, you did well today."

"Thanks," she said. "You too."

He leaned in to hug her but she kissed him instead. Alex smiled through the kiss and then gave Michael a hug. She was so happy everything had gone top plan and she didn't have to tell Michael about her and Nikita.

Her necklace was as cold as ice against his chest. He thought about what it had said on the back, _N._

"Goodbye," she said, shutting the door.

The only thing he thought about when he heard the letter _N,_ was Nathan her boyish next door neighbour, the word never and the name Nikita.

Nikita?

Michael stuck his foot in the door, stopping Alex from shutting it and looked at Alex.


	9. Forgive Me

**I don't own Nikita or any of its characters etc.**

**

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**_Hey, hope everyone had a great Christmas! In this chapter I did what I did just because it opened up the story as a whole to more possibilities. Enjoy this chapter. Please read and review._

* * *

Nikita?

Michael put his foot in the door stopping Alex from shutting it and looked at Alex.

He didn't say excuse me or ask to come inside he just walked straight into her house without saying a word.

"Michael?" Alex asked.

His face was as white as porcelain and his usual enthusiastic blue eyes were staring off into the distance.

He slowly sat down on her sofa and put his face into his hands.

Alex said, "Okay, come in then."

She shut the front door behind her and walked over to where Michael was sat, unsure of whether to laugh or be concerned.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked putting her hand on Michael's shoulder even though that was the last thing he wanted.

Michael breathed out and said extremely slowly, trying to control his anger, "_N._"

Alex gulped and tried to wipe the nervous sweat off her hands by rubbing them on her trousers. She knew what was coming and she dreaded it but she knew it was going to have to happen sooner or later.

Michael's face still had no expression. He repeated, "_N_ is for Nikita."

Alex knew it was pointless but she tried one last lie, "I don't know what you mean."

It was when Alex dared lie to him that he lost it, "Don't lie to me!" Michael screamed.

His porcelain face looked like it had been painted red and his eyes showed plenty of emotion now.

Alex stepped back knocking her lamp over as she bumped into it, trying to escape from Michael's rage.

She watched Michael as he broke completely right in front of her. His many layers of steel were unfolding and his bare emotions were on show.

Michael cooled down again and formed his hands in a steeple position pointing to his lips, "Please don't lie to me Alex."

Alex started to shake. She felt physically sick and would have done anything to run away from the conversation they were having.

"It's not what you think," she said.

Michael said, "Of course it's what I think. I can't believe I was so stupid to actually believe it when you meant…"

Alex was almost crying but she managed to get her voice to work, "When what?"

Michael stared at Alex, his eyes bore right through her and he replied, "When you said you loved me."

Michael's words and the puppy dog expression on his face broke her heart and a waterfall of tears cascaded down her face, they didn't stop even when they hit the cold hard floor that felt like Alex's heart.

She choked through her tears, "Of course I love you! But Division killed my family. You can't expect me to do nothing about that!"

Michael stood up to face her but his expression didn't change even though her pain was radiating through the room and would have hit his heart with a _bang._

He said blankly, "Yeah well guess what Alex? You only thought of yourself. I put myself on the line for you. You know how much trouble we would have been in if Division found out, but I did it for what I thought was _love._ You were supposed to love me back."

Alex said helplessly, "I have never stopped loving you."

Michael ignored her and said, "Yeah well Division was actually helping catch the person who…"

Michael stopped when he realised he hadn't told Alex that yet.

Alex finished the sentence for him, "Killed your family."

Michael stepped in so close to Alex that she felt uncomfortable. He titled his head to the side slightly and said, "How did you know that?"

Alex looked away, she could feel Michael's hot breath on her cheek.

Michael growled, "Nikita."

Alex begged, "Please let me explain."

Michael said, "I think I know enough."

He pulled himself away from Alex's captivating presence and headed for the door without looking away from Alex and without stopping shaking his head in disappointment and disbelief.

Alex said in a last ditch attempt, "Back at Division, I always wanted to tell you. I didn't mean for you to find out this way I just needed a little more time."

* * *

Michael threw his coat down on the sofa and marched back over to Alex.

Michael was starting to get really pissed off but he still went back to talk to Alex and said, "Time for what Alex? To bring down all of Division. Would you have killed me as well if you needed to, the way you killed Thom?"

Michael was really furious and had to fight with all of his might not to do anything stupid.

Alex threw her hand towards Michael in an attempt to strike him but he caught her arm and she said through gritted teeth, "That was an accident."

Michael held onto her arms roughly. He looked into her eyes and he couldn't believe the woman that he loved was working for Nikita, the woman he kept trying to kill.

Michael said, "And Owen?"

Alex nodded.

Michael ran his hand through his hair and then put it back on Alex's arm, without loosening the grip.

Michael said, "Why? Why would you betray our country?"

Alex said loudly, "Michael! Division does not represent our country. Do you really think it's right to kill innocent people? What part of that is for our country? Percy is corrupt. Can't you see that?"

Michael was silent because he didn't have an answer to the question.

When he thought of something to ask he broke the silence, "Back at the library. When they escaped. Was that you?"

Alex said, "Yes. How could I kill Nikita? Even you can't!"

Michael said, "That is a different matter."

Alex replied stepping to meet Michael in the middle of the gap that had grown between their bodies, "Really? Because I don't think it is. I think you secretly like it when Nikita tries to interrupt missions because it gets Percy angry and you can't stand him and the lengths he and Amanda will go to to _help_ the recruits."

Michael filled in the other half of the gap and said, "That is enough. I owe Percy my life."

Alex said, "Did you know that Nikita saved my life? She got me out of drugs and cleaned me up. Not Division, her. She trained me and looked after me after Division killed my family, she's been there all my life. So how it that any different?"

Michael said, "No, I didn't know that."

Alex said, "I bet you didn't know that Percy murdered the engineer so Birkhoff could have his job."

Michael gulped.

Alex said, "You see where this is all adding up?"

Michael thought for a minute, sorting out his feelings.

* * *

He said, "I don't blame you for joining Nikita under the circumstances but what kills me is that you didn't have the decency to tell me what was going on and you lied to me. Since we met it's been constant lying so I don't know what to believe anymore."

Finally getting her confidence back, Alex said, "Believe this. Division is corrupt. Percy doesn't care about you killing Kasim because if he did, he would be dead by now. Nikita doesn't want to expose Division's secrets! She's destroying the black boxes. Believe this. I hate lying to you. I even thought about stopping our whole mission so I could tell you and I wouldn't have to lie anymore. Believe this. I love you, more than anyone or anything in my whole life. Believe me."

Michael stared at Alex. She was so beautiful and he believed every word that had formed around her perfect lips.

Michael surprisingly took a step towards Alex and hugged her. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

He whispered into her ear, "What are we going to do, eh?"

Alex said, "What do you mean?"

Michael said, "You and me."

Alex was so happy that there was still a her and Michael.

Alex said, "No more lying."

Michael stated, "No that's not enough. I need no more hiding the truth."

Alex said, "Okay. But what are you going to do now?"

Michael quickly kissed her on the lips, "What's now?"

Alex sighed, "Now that you know everything. You have to tell Division right?"

Michael said matter-of-factly, "Alex. I'm not telling Division."

Alex looked at Michael. Nikita was right, sure he was mad, but he loved her regardless.

Alex said, "But how are you going to keep it a secret? One day it will slip out and then they'll kill both of us."

Michael said, "Alex shut up for a second."

Michael looked at her. Did he still love her? Of course. Did he forgive her? Yeah, because she had the guts to do what he had always secretly wanted to do.

Michael said, "I'm not telling Division, because I'm joining you."

Alex's jaw dropped as she heard what Michael had just said to her. He was like a completely different man now that he was with Alex.

Alex almost screamed at Michael, "What? You can't! If Percy finds out then you'll get yourself killed!"

Michael said, "That's why he won't find out. I'm going to be your mole on the inside."

Alex hugged Michael.

"Thank you!" she said.

"For what?" Michael asked Alex who was hugging him even tighter.

Alex said with a huge smile on her face, "For not hating me, for helping me, everything."

Michael said, "Well I can hardly let you do it by yourself can I? It's okay for Nikita and Owen because Division knows about them. But you. You're the only one undercover and that's dangerous."

* * *

Alex walked to get her phone.

Michael asked, "What are you doing?"

Alex shushed him and dialled Nikita's number.

Alex said, "Nikita? Hey, can you come over please? Yeah. There's something I need to talk to you about. Yeah sure, bring Owen if you want to."

Michael's eyes widened.

Alex put the phone back and signalled _well?_, with her hands.

Michael said, "I don't think that's such a good idea. And why did you have to invite Owen?"

Alex opened her mouth, "I didn't invite Owen, Nikita asked. I don't think she's going to try and kill you. Just let me talk to her."

* * *

Ten minutes later the doorbell rang.

Alex said to Michael, "Okay stay in the other room while I talk to her for a minute."

Michael nodded and walked into the other room.

Alex opened the door and let Nikita in, who was followed by Alex.

Nikita said, "What is it?"

Owen smiled, "Yeah why did you ask us to come over?"

Alex joked, "Actually, I asked Nikita to come over. And she asked you."

"Ouch," Owen said, clutching his chest in a fake dramatic reaction.

Before Alex could reply to Nikita's question Michael stuck his head round the corner and saw Nikita and Owen there so he walked out and stood about five metres in front of her.

Nikita stared at the man in front of her. The last time she had seen him he had tried to kill her in a library. She was shocked and said, "Michael?"

Alex turned around, she hadn't realised Michael was stood there.

She whispered to him loud enough so he, and unfortunately everyone else could hear, "I thought you were going to wait in there?"

He said, "I got bored."

Nikita pulled out her gun and pointed it at Michael but Michael didn't shift.

Alex shouted, "Nikita? What are you doing?"

Nikita said blankly, "Making sure he's not going to kill me. What are _you_ doing?"

Alex said, looking at Nikita, "Michael knows everything."

Nikita asks, "Everything?"

Michael nodded.

He said, "Everything. And apparently you've been sharing things with Alex."

Alex mouthed sorry.

Nikita said playfully, "Ah Michael. So nice to hear your voice again."

Michael narrowed his eyes at her, "Nikita. Nice to see you've lost some of that sarcasm over the years."

Owen stepped in between them before they tried to kill each other.

Nikita said, "What do you want?"

Michael said, "To join you."

"Really?" Nikita replied, shocked that he had said that.

"Yes," Alex said. "He wants to be our mole on the inside."

Nikita said shrugging, "Alright then."

Alex was surprised at how quickly Nikita had agreed with her, "Okay?"

"Okay," Nikita said.

Alex turned to hug Michael when Nikita said, "But, it has to be okay with every member of the team, since we'll be working together a lot."

Michael looked at Owen, waiting for his verdict.

Nikita said, "Owen what do you think?"

"I don't know," Owen said stepping closer to Michael. "I've heard you've been trying to kill my lady here."

Owen pulled Nikita closer to him. Michael raised his eyebrows.

Nikita pulled Owen's arm off her and laughed, "I am not your lady."

"No, but you wish you were," Owen replied, kissing her on the cheek.

Nikita wiped it off, sighed and look at Owen with a disapproving look.

Alex smirked.

Owen walked up to Michael and examined him. Owen was taller than Michael but Michael could be just as scary.

Owen hesitated then shook Michael's hand, "Okay, you're in."

Michael needed confirmation because he never knew when it came to Nikita.

He asked, "So am I in in?"

"Yes!" Alex said, finally giving Michael that hug.


	10. The Return Of The Recruit

**I don't own Nikita or any of its characters etc. **

* * *

Yay! Michael joined them, but will anyone at Division guess? Hope you enjoy this chapter. Someone makes a surprise visit at the end.

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* * *

_

"It's not my fault it didn't go off!" Birkhoff shouted to everyone and no one as the rest of the people working on the mission ran around the room in a panic trying to fix the dud bomb that was compromising an agent's mission.

Michael stood impatiently over Birkhoff as he desperately tried to enter a code into his computer.

"No," Michael shouted back. "But just hurry up and blow it up electronically before the whole mission goes to hell!"

Birkhoff looked behind him and said to Michael in a higher pitch, "Dude! I can't blow up the bomb until I know the exact code for it. Geez man, simple stuff."

Michael tapped his shiny black shoes on the busy and messy floor, "Yeah well I do the missions, I don't fix things. You're the nerd so hurry up!"

Birkhoff scoffed, offended, "I am so not a nerd."

Michael's voice was getting louder every time he bothered wasting his breath on Birkhoff, "Blow it up!"

"Okay, okay. Hold on a minute."

Percy's black silhouette appeared in the doorway and he signalled for Birkhoff to approach him, by himself.

"Yes sir," Birkhoff said. He clambered out of his chair and clutched his aching back which was permanently hunched from sitting at a computer all day being verbally abused by people who needed to take anger management classes.

Birkhoff looked at Percy waiting for him to speak but Percy was too busy looking at him like he was a small child that needed teaching how to behave properly in the mission room, and in general.

"Yes sir?" Birkhoff was the first of the two to speak.

Percy gestured towards Michael who was now screaming at some other poor tech guy, who was trying to help.

"I don't want him in here," Percy said in a hushed tone.

"But sir, he's crucial to the mission and has as much right as anyone else, even if he's quite loud."

Percy didn't have time for Birkhoff's backchat, "Just make sure he doesn't come back in here again."

Birkhoff knew juicy gossip when he heard it and could sniff it out from a mile away, "What did Michael do?"

Percy coughed and lowered his voice so only Birkhoff could hear, "Last night after their mission, I told Michael to take Alex home and them come straight back to Division. He came back five hours later. Let's just leave it at that. I don't trust him."

Birkhoff's jaw dropped, "Wow, Michael must be getting some!"

Percy shot Birkhoff a death stare and Birkhoff quickly restated his last comment, "But you er, know. Just because he was late it doesn't mean he was sleeping with her, dude! I mean sir."

Michael looked up from his temporary station to see Birkhoff still talking with Percy. He walked over to Birkhoff's assistant, trying not to look too shifty and took his coffee.

"Can I have this? Been a long day, if you know what I mean." Michael hinted, looking over at Birkhoff.

His assistant shrugged and went back to typing codes at super speed into the mainframe of ShadowNet.

"Erm yeah, thanks." Michael looked at him oddly. Why did everyone who worked with Birkhoff have to act like him as well?

Michael walked quietly and casually over to Birkhoff's station, the one containing crucial information on the mission at hand and the bomb controls and slowly poured the coffee over the keyboard, making sure it drowned every letter in the brown liquid.

Sparks flew from the computer and the screen went black. Michael jumped back before he got an electric shock. Everyone stopped and looked from Michael to the computer to Birkhoff, and back to Michael again.

"Whoa! What have you done?" Birkhoff ran over to his precious computer and started to stroke the monitor which had burnt to a crisp and was starting to smoke up the room with a rancid, light blue smoke.

Percy growled underneath his breath and left Birkhoff to deal with Michael, while he went to waste his time somewhere else more important, like lunch.

Michael shoved Birkhoff away from him and shouted, "It was an accident. It was your own fault anyway. You're the one who left your stupid geek cables on the floor and I tripped on them."

Birkhoff kicked them aside and said, "They are not geek cables. They are very complicated and precise AV cables that give us the feed. That you, just destroyed. Dude you acting weird lately, maybe Percy was right."

"Right about what?" Michael said through gritted teeth as he crushed his coffee cup in his hand.

Birkhoff looked at him and let out a long whistle, "Never mind."

Michael shoved past him, brushing Birkhoff's shoulder and threw his coffee cup in the metal mesh bin at the other side of the wide room.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Birkhoff demanded to know. "We have a bomb to detonate!"

"Do it yourself," Michael muttered as he left the room in search for some peace and quiet.

* * *

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Alex asked Nikita and Owen who were sat on her plush leather sofa drinking a really awful smelling herbal tea from tiny china cups.

"Alex, it's just a phone call. There's nothing to go wrong about it." Nikita laughed, she loved it and found it highly amusing how Alex could be so naïve about things.

Alex sniffed her green drink and then threw it down the silver sink. "I know that, I'm not stupid! I mean, what if they can trace it? Then we'll all be in deep shit."

Owen crossed his legs and folded his arms, "Alex. I'm one of Division's best ex- agents, I think I know how to make sure a simple call isn't traced."

Alex narrowed her eyes at them both, she hated how they thought she was stupid when it came down to the technological side of things. But hey, if you needed someone to be an escort or kick someone's ass she was your girl.

"You ready?" Nikita asked, throwing the house phone at Alex.

Alex dialled in Michael's private Division number that took her through to his personal office.

"Hello?" A deep, smoky voice said on the other end.

"Hey, Michael," Alex said flirtily, but Owen coughed and she pushed the thought of Michael looking hot in his suit out of her head so she could concentrate.

"Are you alone?"

"Yeah," He said. "Birkhoff was driving me mad so I went to my office to get away from him and his damn tech talk."

Alex laughed and said, "Perfect. We need a favour from you."

"Sure, what is it?"

"Go into Percy's office and look around for any information that might lead us to where his black box is hidden. We know where other ones are, we just haven't gotten round to getting rid of them yet. But if Percy doesn't have his own any more for protection, it will make him a lot easier to crack."

There was no answer from Michael's end of the line and Alex paced around waiting for him to reply.

"Are you still there?" She asked.

"I'm here," Michael said. "I don't think I can do it for you, sorry."

Alex took the phone away from her ear and covered the bottom half with her hand.

"He says he's not going to do it," Alex hissed at Nikita and Owen. "I told you it wouldn't work."

Nikita said, "Pass me the phone here."

Alex threw Nikita the phone and she caught it just before it whacked Owen in the side of the head, making him spill his drink all down his jeans in surprise. Alex threw him an old rag that was hanging over the handle on her oven.

Nikita swallowed and held the phone under her chin, "Michael. You wanted to join us and you need to get used to the fact that this is what we do. It's not safe and we risk a hell of a lot of ourselves to do what we do. So if you're not going to do then you're out… Great. Call me back when you've got what you need."

Owen and Alex stared at Nikita.

"What?" She said looking at them both who were gawping at her.

"It's like you have magical powers," Alex said in awe of Nikita.

"Well, he said he would have a look but he can't promise anything." She lifted up her pen and pretended to cast a spell on Owen.

"Gribbit," He said, pretending to be a frog which Nikita thought was hysterical and she started to roll around on the sofa clutching her stomach.

"You two are so immature sometimes," Alex raised her eyebrows at them which made them laugh even more.

* * *

Michael slipped his key card into his pocket waited for the elevator to open on the second to last floor, thankfully there was no annoying elevator music to distract him. When the doors opened he was face to face with Percy, who didn't look happy to see him at all.

"Michael? What are you doing up here, there's nothing you need." Percy glared at him. He knew he was doing something suspicious but he didn't have enough information to pin anything on him.

Michael breathed in and prepared himself to lie to his boss, a very dangerous man, for the first time, "Left something up here when I brought you your case files this morning. I think I dropped it outside of your office, I'll get it then run down to help Birkhoff again."

"Hm," Percy said, watching Michael as he left the elevator and Percy entered it. Now it was Michael in Percy's position. "Be quick, and don't wander around up here."

Michael ran down the hallways that seemed longer and more like a labyrinth the further up Division you went. Of course on the top floor there was only one way to go, to your death and if somehow you managed to escape from it, there was no way out and you would be found eventually, somehow.

A shiver went up Michael's spine and the hairs on the back on his neck stood on end. He knew he was risking his own life by infiltrating Percy's office and rifling through his private belongings but he loved Alex and he would do anything for her. He also loved Nikita in his own special way and he would grow to like Owen so he couldn't let his friends down.

He reached Percy's office and the ominous grey doors loomed above him. Just like everything else in the god forsaken place, it had no colour or personality.

He pulled out his key card from Percy's office swiped it, then punched in the code. There was no response, Percy must have changed the code for it so absolutely no one could go in.

"Dammit, come on!" He muttered.

Luckily he had learned a trick from Nikita many years ago that he still remembered. He bent down on one knee and put the card in his mouth while he rummaged in his grey blazer pocket. Michael pulled out a broken pen and took out the piece on the inside where the ink is stored. He felt around under the keypad for a small hole. His fingers were too clumsy to feel for it, he tried to look underneath but it was impossible seen as it was attached to the wall.

He held his pen up to the underside of the keypad and moved it around until it lodged into the hole. Michael jammed the pen inside as far as he could, until the keypad momentarily disabled itself to establish what the problem was. He sneaked into Percy's office and forgot to shut the heavy doors behind him.

"Right where would Percy hide his black box?" Michael said to himself.

He started at Percy's desk. He put everything back in his pocket and pulled out the first oak draw. There was nothing but paper work and recruit files, so he tried the next one.

Michael tugged and yanked at the next draw down from the previous one but it wasn't coming loose. He opened up the first draw and felt around for a key. At the top of the draw, embedded in the wood was a small button that he wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't been looking for the key.

* * *

He pressed it, waiting for something bad to happen. The locked draw clicked and opened itself, revealing a key. But it wasn't for that draw because it had just opened, so where was it for?

He stood up and frantically looked around the room for something that would need a key to open. A window? Yes, but not useful. An shiny, brown, locked box sat on Percy's desk in plain view, but Michael knew that Percy wouldn't be that obvious, or stupid.

Then something caught his eye. In the far corner of the room an old, beat up, grey file cabinet was screwed to the wall. He walked over to it and inserted the key, turning it anti- clockwise. He stepped back as the file cabinet opened to reveal, not drawers, but a safe. The safe was sat cosily in the wall, perfectly hidden and concealed. Michael reached out to try a combination when he heard the elevator door ping open.

He froze and stood behind the doors waiting for the person to pass.

Soft footsteps echoed through the hallway but they gradually got louder until they stopped right outside of Percy's office.

The woman entered the room and looked around. She walked over to Percy's desk and opened the first drawer, she was looking for something in particular.

Michael tried to look at who it was but Percy's jacket was covering his face. He lifted his hand slowly to try and move it but the key's in the pocket jangled.

Whoever was in the room with him stopped what she was doing and walked over to where Michael was stood. She ripped the jacket away from him and said in horror, "Michael!"

"Jayden? What are you doing here?" Michael asked Jayden as she turned bright red with embarrassment and shame.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Jayden," Michael hesitated. "Why are you here?"

Jayden sighed and said, "Because! I've been here for six whole months and I haven't been activated for a mission yet. So, I came in here to look for my file to see why. But it seems to me like you're in here looking for something as well."

Michael said, "Yes. But unlike you, I have permission to be in here."

Jayden snapped back at Michael, "Really? I don't think you do, I've heard rumours."

"What rumours?" Michael snarled. The only reason he didn't turn her in to Percy was because he was worried she would do the same to him.

"Doesn't matter," Jayden replied. "You get me the next mission and I'll make sure nothing slips out of my mouth."

Michael said, "Why should I?"

Jayden smiled arrogantly and said, "Because I'm sure whatever you were doing here, wasn't with Percy's permission and he'd be intrigued to find out about it."

Michael was about to say something when she put her hand up to stop him.

Jayden said, "Oh and the fact that you're sleeping with Alex."

Michael turned red but not with embarrassment, with anger.

"I am not sleeping with Alex, so you can get that idea out of your head." Michael retaliated.

He wasn't sleeping with Alex, not yet anyway.

"So," she said. "Do we have a deal?"

Michael stuck his hand out to meet Jayden's but he wasn't happy about it, "We have a deal."

"Good," she said and she turned on her heel and left the room.

* * *

Michael pulled out his phone and fumbled with the digits.

"Alex?" He said.

"Yeah, do you have it?" She replied.

"No, not exactly. We have a problem." Michael answered.

"With what?" Alex sounded worried because it was her idea as well to send Michael in there.

"Jayden interrupted me."

"Jayden?" Alex shouted down the phone.

She turned to Nikita and Owen with a helpless look on her face, but they didn't know what to do or say.


	11. Torture

****

I don't own Nikita or any of its chapters etc.

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* * *

__Hey, sorry for the really bad chapter but this one is a lot better! Hope you enjoy it. Read and review please._

* * *

Jayden held her cocktail glass in between her fingers which were laden with jewellery and she paraded around. She was dressed in a short, lime green dress and if the green and fuchsia pink feathered mask hadn't been covering her face, her expression of pride and arrogance would have been clear for everyone to see.

Jayden was extremely glad with mission she had been given, despite the fact that it was blackmailing that had gotten her it in the first place. She had no remorse for pressuring Michael, she was too focused on looking attractive. But she was determined to exceed everyone's expectations and take her target down flawlessly.

Nikita and Owen entered the masquerade ball arm and arm. Nikita was in a floor length blue gown, dotted with sparkles that looked like the sky at midnight, with a sparkly silver mask, to match. Owen was wearing a plain black tuxedo and a box tie, his striking features were covered with a gold mask that a bird's beak protruded from.

Alex, however out shone them both in her knee length gold dress and matching mask.

_I wish Michael was here. He could be the only thing to make me feel even more special,_ Alex thought and she caught up with Nikita and Owen.

Jayden took of her mask for a second so she could check her reflection in her mirror.

Owen whistled, "Wow. She's smoking hot."

Nikita punched him in the arm but Owen misinterpreted her frustration and said, "But er, not as hot as you."

Nikita punched him again and hissed, "That's not why I punched you! That girl you're making googly eyes at? _That's_ Jayden."

Owen looked over at Alex to see if she had heard him compliment her arch nemesis in Division.

Alex shrugged and said, "Sure, she hot. But she's a bitch, so I'm all good."

"Alrighty then," Owen said shifting nervously on his new shoes which were giving him blisters. "Are we actually going to sabotage the mission? Because if we're not, I'd like to go home."

Jayden walked over to the long table that stretched the length of the room and refilled her cocktail glass with a bright pink punch, that tasted like melons and tropical fruit.

Nikita didn't realise that Jayden could hear every single word she said, "Would you calm down please? Just observe for a minute, find the _actual _target. And then we'll sabotage."

Jayden inched closer to the group to pick up their conversation.

Owen said, "But Nikita, don't you think we should act soon, before Jayden has a chance to get away?"

Jayden was terrified to hear her name and the word sabotage in the same sentence and the punch in her glass started to shake.

She edged even closer, until she was stood directly behind them, but they were too involved in their conversation to notice.

Alex sighed, "I really wish Michael was here to help out, he has a different perspective of things than the rest of us."

Something in Jayden's head clicked. Nikita, sabotage, Michael, Division.

The other voice was male, most probably Owen but Jayden couldn't make out the last voice even though it was hauntingly familiar.

Nikita noticed the extreme closeness of Jayden's proximity and whispered, "He wanted to come but Percy's got him on a leash ever since that incident with Birkhoff in the mission room."

Jayden realised she needed to tell Percy everything she had overheard. Sure, it would cut her mission short but she'd had her fun and she'd get to bust some ass. Plus, it would make her teacher's pet and not Alex, so it was a bonus.

Jayden spoke loudly into her earpiece, "Mission aborted. I repeat mission aborted. I'm coming back to Division."

Nikita, Owen and Alex passed each other confused glances through their colourful masks.

"Well that can't be good," Nikita said.

"Yeah," Alex wondered. "What scared her?"

* * *

Percy walked up and down his office and said, "So Jayden. Are you positive the information you heard was from Nikita, and about Michael?"

Jayden said smugly, "Yes sir."

Percy sat on the edge of his deep brown, varnished oak desk and smiled, "Well done recruit. I underestimated you. I think you will become a Field Agent quicker than you expected. You are dismissed."

Jayden gave one last proud smile and left the room.

Percy picked up his phone and spoke into it, "Send Amanda to my office immediately, and keep it quiet."

A faint voice answered back, "Yes sir. Right away."

* * *

Amanda knocked on the door of Percy's office and asked calmly, "You needed to see me?"

Percy rubbed his brow and said anxiously, "Come in and shut the door behind you."

Amanda closed the doors and sat in the old leather seat opposite Percy at his desk.

Percy looked at Amanda, wondering whether or not he should trust her with the gem of information. But he needed her help so he said, "It seems one of our own has been playing cat and mouse."

Amanda said in a monotone yet manipulative voice, "Percy, you always did have an overactive imagination."

Amanda didn't have as much respect for Percy as she let on and had always thought that she should be in charge of Division, because she thought it needed a strong woman.

Percy clutched his hands together and said in a mumble, "I have it from a very reliable source that Michael has been in alliance with Nikita and Owen."

Amanda picked up a pen from Percy's desk and examined it, entertaining herself because Percy's words were boring her so much, "Who is your reliable source?"

Percy said, "Jayden. She overheard Nikita, Owen and an unknown person having a conversation regarding Michael's involvement."

Amanda laughed patronisingly, "Percy. Jayden is hardly our best agent, after all she's still a recruit. She would do anything to move up the ladder."

"She was adamant about what she heard."

Amanda pouted her lips and said, "And who is this mystery person supposed to be?"

Percy said, getting slightly more excited, but only slightly, "That's exactly what you're going to find out. I want you to use whatever you have to get some answers out of Michael. I've been suspicious of him for quite a while now."

"And if he doesn't say anything?" Amanda asked, with an evil smirk on her face.

Percy watched as Amanda's eyes lit up, "I'm confident he'll tell us everything we need to know."

Amanda's face dropped again, it was almost as if she was disappointed she didn't get to do anything truly awful.

Percy said, "Go and get him from his office. I've had him doing paperwork all morning. Take him to yours, but don't let on anything is happening. We don't want him to be suspicious. Then when you're ready, start whatever it is that you do."

Amanda got up from the old leather chair and headed for the door, her heel's clacking on the hard floor with every step she took.

Amanda turned round and questioned Percy, "What if you're wrong Percy? After all it won't be your first time. You were clearly wrong about him and Nikita. That's probably what made him distrust you in the first place."

"I won't be," Percy said as Amanda shut the door behind her. He turned around in his chair to observe Michael's recruits through his office window.

* * *

Michael was sat at his desk, that was significantly smaller than Percy's. He flicked through all of his work in frustration and twiddled his pen back and forth through his fingers.

He looked up when Amanda cast a shadow over his work, blocking the light.

Amanda said blankly, "Come with me."

Michael put down his pen and shut his file. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion and he asked Amanda questioningly, "Why?"

Amanda said, "Don't ask questions Michael. Just come with me to my office."

Amanda and Michael walked down the hallways in silence but it wasn't the good kind of silence like when he walked Alex to her room so many times when she was a recruit at Division. It was a petrifying silence.

They arrived at Amanda's infamous office and Michael asked, "What is this about Amanda? Don't you usually play your little games on the recruits and not someone at a higher clearance level than you?"

Michael walked into the bright white room, looked around and she shut the door behind them.

"Yes Michael. I usually do conduct my experiments on recruits, but then again the recruits are the obvious suspects for betraying Division. But you on the other hand…" Amanda's voice trailed off and she watched Michael for a response.

Michael didn't react and slowly said, "I'm not sure what you're implying Amanda."

Amanda turned off the nice act and said bitterly, "I think you do Michael and Percy asked me very nicely to find out what exactly it is that you're hiding. You see, your friends Nikita and Owen decided to show up on Jayden's mission. Ring any bells?"

Michael got closer to Amanda, so he would see if she flinched, "Amanda, if this is some psychological thing. You can stop it right now."

Amanda ignored Michael's request and said, "They let slip your name and Jayden just happened to hear that. Ironic isn't it? That one of your own recruits would be the one to bring you down. Not Nikita, as we all initially thought."

Amanda chuckled to herself and Michael's nostrils flared but his voice didn't let on any emotion. He was matching Amanda's coldness.

He stuck by his story and said, finding it hard to control his volume, "Jayden was clearly lying. I have nothing to hide, so you won't be getting anything from me."

Amanda turned around from what she was doing. She showed Michael a suitcase full of injections and lethal mixes of chemicals. It was also full of needles, electrical charges and painful miniscule weapons, designed specifically for torture.

Amanda said, "Good then you won't be afraid for me just to confirm that then will you?"

Michael sat down on the chair and Amanda strapped his arms onto the arm rests, wrist sides up, with the help of a guard.

He said through gritted teeth, "No I wouldn't."

Amanda stuck in the first syringe into a bottle of bright green liquid that swirled around, it was almost hypnotizing to Michael, the way it swished back and forth as Amanda tipped it upside down and drew the syringe.

She said in a sickly sweet voice, turning her nice act back on, "Two cc's of this and your heart rate will go up to at least 120 bmp. Four cc's and every beat of your heart will cause you excruciating pain, the blood running through your veins will feel like toxin and at six cc's, well your body will start to reject your own blood and then you'll be dead. So, how far do we have to go Michael before I get what I need to know?"

Michael looked at her in disgust, "You can do what you like to me because I've done nothing wrong. All the time I've been at Division I've done the right things and been faithful to the right people."

Amanda said, coming down to Michael's level, "It's a shame it had to come down to this isn't it really? I always thought you had something different in you than everyone else, but then I realised it was just idiocracy."

She stuck the needle into Michael's arm and he bit down on his lip so hard he drew blood.

He didn't let out a sound but his head started to sweat and his breathing got shallower and faster by the second.

Michael said, "Damn you, Amanda."

* * *

Amanda said, "Who is the other person you're working with Michael? Come on, you can tell me I'm your friend."

Michael shook his head and said, "I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

Amanda slapped Michael and he spat out blood next to her on the ground, so it splattered on her shoes.

Amanda sighed and said, "Oh, Michael. I tried to be nice but I guess that you always had to do things the hard way."

Michael closed his eyes and laid his head back as Amanda put another two cc's of the poison into his blood stream, making four.

Michael's heart started beating uncontrollably and he wasn't a religious man but he screamed up at the ceiling, for god to help him.

His whole body felt like he had been stabbed and his hands started to seize up.

Amanda said, "Are you ready to speak now."

Michael was silent and he stared down at his hands which had gone a slight purple colour from lack of circulation from his restraints.

Amanda said, "Fine we'll try it another way."

She signalled the guard over and he hit Michael in the head with his gun, just hard enough to stun him, but not make him unconscious.

Amanda said, "For every question you don't answer Grady here will make sure you wish you had.

Michael looked at them both and said, "Whatever you want. I'm not saying anything."

"What does Nikita want?" Amanda asked, looking at Michael, finding it hard to feign the slightest bit of sympathy. "Why is she trying to bring down Division Michael?"

Michael said, slurring his words, "Revenge probably, on people like you. But since I haven't spoken to her since the Kasim mission I wouldn't know."

Grady thrashed Michael in the face with his gun and a steady stream of blood started to run from his nose and dropped on his lap when it hit his lips.

Amanda said, her voice getting tenser, "Come on Michael, we know you're not telling us something. We just want to know what it is."

Michael held his head up and looked Amanda dead straight in the eyes and said, "I'm hiding nothing."

Grady was about to hit Michael for the third time when Percy walked into the room.

Percy said, "Oh Michael. Look at that. It seems that you've run across a little accident."

"You son of a bitch!" Michael shouted at Percy, tugging at the restraints with all of his remaining power to attempt to get free. But they were too tight and the toxin had made him weaker than usual. Michael felt like giving up and telling them everything but that would mean putter his friends lives in danger and he couldn't do that not after he'd promised to look after them.

An image of Alex smiling and laughing with Michael hit him like a ton of bricks and tears pricked at his eyes. He remembered what he had said to her the first time she had gotten into trouble,

_I won't let them hurt you. I promise I won't let anything happen to you. I'm not going to lose you too._

Michael would prefer to die before he broke his promise to Alex.

Percy smiled and Michael and turned to Amanda and said, "So have you gotten anything out of him yet?"

Amanda said, "No. And to be honest I don't think we're going to."

Percy sucked on the inside of his cheeks and then released them to say, "Neither do I. Take him to the top floor."

Michael gulped and closed him heavy eyelids.

The top floor is where recruits or agents who just weren't good enough were sent to get cancelled. You never went up there for any other reason. You were lucky to be shot, usually Amanda would make it extra special.

* * *

Michael said, begging them, "No. Please, no."

The normal Michael wouldn't have begged but he was defeated and broken.

Percy pointed to the guard and he walked behind Michael while Amanda took off his restraints. The guard pushed him forward and cuffed his hands behind his back. Then he pushed him out of his seat and Michael stumbled forwards landing at Percy's feet.

Percy and Amanda watched and Michael muttered something under his breath.

The guards dragged him roughly by the shoulder up and out the door with Amanda and Percy on either side of Michael, parading him around as an example and to shame him.

They marched him down the hallways and into the elevator without changing position.

When elevator doors reopened, Michael saw he was on the training level.

* * *

All of the recruits turned to look at him.

"What are we doing here?" Michael said.

Percy said, "Aw, you didn't honestly think we were that heartless did you? We're going to let you say bye to your recruits."

The recruits muttered amongst each other.

Jayden said, "Shit. I didn't mean for this to happen."

She turned to an athletic looking boy next to her and asked, "Where are they taking him?"

"To the top floor probably," he replied.

The guard shoved Michael up to the group of recruits that had gathered on the mats.

Percy and Amanda stood proudly on either side of him and Percy said, "Now, young recruits. This is what happens when you don't follow the rules. Michael has one final thing to say to you all."

Michael looked at all the expectant faces and swallowed and said, "I'm sorry for letting you all down. I hope you'll continue to be strong men and women even when I'm gone and don't let your training slip. But most importantly don't be afraid to make friendships, they are important. I know Division says not to, but really Division is full of crap."

Michael's tears stung in his eyes but he couldn't wipe them away so he let them fall. Even Jayden let one slip as her humanity showed.

Percy frowned at Michael and said, "Right, that's enough. Come on."

It took all three of them to drag Michael to the elevator as he took one last look at the people he had trained. Some of them for over a year, and others only months. What would happen to them if he was gone? They would probably get cancelled or Percy would bring someone else in to train them, but no one understood them like Michael.

Birkhoff's assistant pointed out what was happening in the training room. All of the recruits were either crying, hugging each other or talking about it. Birkhoff looked up to see Michael being taken away in cuffs.

He said, "Shit, dude. What did you do?"

Percy pressed the elevator button, but it would only take Michael up.

Birkhoff bit his nails and set up the old shell that he had destroyed. He typed in the code that he had thankfully memorised and managed to pull up the chat box.

He typed in a message that said, _Nikita it's B. Reply ASAP._

* * *

The computer in front of them beeped and Nikita, Owen and Alex, all looked up from their planning.

Nikita was the one to rush over and she replied, _What is it?_

Birkhoff said, _Just seen Percy and Amanda drag Michael, who's a bloody mess, by the way, up to the top floor. Jayden just met with Percy a few hours ago. Mean anything to you?_

Birkhoff looked at the computer but it already said, _User offline._ He set back to work on deleting it again without leaving a paper trail.

"Shit!" Nikita shouted.

Alex came over to the computer and read Birkhoff's last message, "Shit. Shit. Shit. What the hell are we going to do?"

Alex ran her hands through her hair the way Michael always did and knelt on the ground.

Nikita looked at Owen who had already come to see what the commotion was about, and said, "We're going to break into Division to get him."

Alex looked at Nikita like she was crazy but there was nothing else for them to do.

She said, in shock from the thought of her losing Michael, "What now?"

Nikita replied, "Yes. All of us. Right now."

* * *

Michael, Percy, Amanda and the guard all appeared on the top floor.

Percy said to the guard, "Right you can take it from here. You know what to do."

Percy and Amanda disappeared behind the elevator doors and Michael was left alone with only the guard for company.

He took Michael through the maze of hallways, past multiple doors and around countless corners until they came to one room.

The guard said, "You'll be in there for twelve hours. After that you'll run out of oxygen. I'm sorry mate."

Michael nodded and patted the guard on the back as he led him into the room. The only thing in the room was a chair, right in the very far corner. There were no windows and only one door, that the guard would be guarding until the twelve hours were up.

Michael sat down on the chair as the guard shut and locked the door, leaving Michael to look at his watch and count down the hours.


	12. Tick Tock, Counting Clock

**I don't own Nikita or any of its characters etc. **

_

* * *

__I'm a little bit tipsy as I'm writing this so please excuse any errors :)… Happy New Year! 2011. I hope you enjoy this chapter._

* * *

**11 hours 59 minutes.**

Nikita threw a blueprint on the table and it started to uncurl from its tight roll. She unfolded it and placed four mugs at each of the corners to hold it down while she examined it.

Owen looked at the complicated drawing absolutely baffled by what it meant.

"What is that?" He asked.

"It's a plan." Alex said sarcastically. "Shouldn't you know that? Being special ops and all that?"

Nikita said, "This is a plan of the whole of Division. Every single room, hallway and secret entrance is covered on this thing. It's like the holy grail of Division, if anyone gets hold of this there will be mayhem. Michael will be held in one of these rooms."

She ran her fingers across the paper, pointing at the top floor.

Alex studied Nikita as she drew a route with her fingers, "Where did you get this?"

Nikita smiled remembering, "I stole it. From our dear friend Birky."

Owen coughed trying to stifle his laughter.

Alex raised her eyebrows and sat down at the table with Owen, "Birky?"

"It's catchy," Nikita said.

Owen smirked at Nikita and said in a playful tone, poking her arm, "Ooo, Birky. I love you Birky."

Nikita punched Owen, but not as hard as pervious times, she'd learnt her lesson from having to listen to Owen complain about it time after time.

"Shut up," Nikita sounded offended but she couldn't help laughing at the way Owen had said it. "I most definitely do _not _love Birky."

Alex had no idea why Nikita hadn't jumped Owen yet, he was quite hot, smart and completely into Nikita.

"You two can flirt later. Can we please focus on saving Michael?"

Nikita blushed and said, "Yeah, sorry."

Owen turned to look at Nikita and slouched back in his chair, "So you agree with her? You think I'm a flirt."

Nikita raised one eyebrow at Owen and said, "Well…"

Alex turned and looked at Nikita with accusing eyes and said, "You're just as bad!"

Nikita shook her head vigorously and said, "Ha! Me, flirt with Owen?"

Alex narrowed her eyes at both of them and how childish they were being. Michael and her had admitted how they felt and it turned out great, so why wouldn't they?

She sighed and said, "Oh please. You two are all over each other. _Every_ time I look. And don't even make me mention the eye sex."

Nikita pointed to the old escape hatch on the diagram.

She smacked her lips together and said, "This section right here got sealed off last time I escaped from Division. They also put up extra security and have every possible place covered, that we could try to get in and out from."

"So how are we going to get in?" Alex asked.

Nikita thought out loud, "Well, it will be easier for you, you have access to Division. You will enter by the front doors past the two guards, but you need to act normally or they'll pick you out. You need to make some sort of distraction, so Owen and I can break through the escape hatch in the field again, by blowing it up. Then we'll come in, and you will go up to Michael and tell him we're coming. We'll manage sneak into Division but it won't be easy, so if we don't make it," Nikita stopped to look at Alex. "You have to find out a way of getting Michael out of there yourself, promise me?"

Alex said, "Don't be stupid. You're Nikita and Owen. You'll take them all down, easy."

Nikita frowned at Alex and asked her sternly, "Promise me?"

Nikita knew that Alex would do a lot of things but what she wouldn't do was break a promise.

"I promise," Alex replied.

"Good."

She pointed to the elevator shafts in the picture.

Nikita explained to Alex, "Take the elevator up to the floor of Percy's office. Pretend like you need to talk to him about something if anyone asks. Don't be seen. Then sneak across to the other side of the hallway and take that elevator up to the top level."

Alex put her hand up, as if she was back in school again and she needed to ask her teacher a question.

"Yes, Alex?" Nikita sighed.

"One question," she said. "Why do I have to switch?"

"It makes it more difficult for them to track you." Owen butted in, pleased at his answer.

Nikita shot him a look.

"What? I know my stuff," Owen said defensively, shocked at how little the two women thought he knew.

Nikita carried on with her lecture, "The top floor is like hell, Alex. You need to remember every single turn you make or you'll never get out ok? There are at least 19 rooms up there but the one Michael will be in will most likely have a guard outside. The guard will be on shoot to kill orders, so take him down first."

Owen said, "Once we're all in there, they'll realise and have the building on lockdown. The only we can get out is if we kill anyone who gets in our way and escape out into the field. We'll have to find our way back home from there."

The realization of what betraying Division now meant as a Field Agent dawned on Alex.

"We'll have to home to go to. If I betray Division I won't be able to stay here anymore. It's the first place they'll look."

Nikita chewed on her lip, deep in thought, "Don't worry we can stay at my loft for a while, until things cool down slightly and then we'll have to move somewhere else."

Alex's imagination went wild, "Like out of the country? Could we go to Spain? Or Italy? Or even a little place by the beach?"

"Maybe," Nikita said. She didn't want to crush Alex's hopes by reminding her that they might not all get out of there alive.

**

* * *

****10 hours 31 minutes.**

The room was virtually pitch black and Michael leaned against the hard walls, swallowed up by the darkness.

The smell of death drenched the air in the room and that as well as the decreasing amounts of oxygen, made it hard for Michael to breathe.

He clenched his fists and his freshly bitten nails that dug into his skin felt like daggers. He was frustrated, sick, worried, tired, upset and in a lot of pain. Emotionally and physically.

He pushed himself off the wall and banged his fist against the cold, hard, metal door that was keeping him trapped in his prison.

He shouted out to the guard, "Goddammit! Let me out of here! Please, I just need to hold her one last time."

Michael's eyes were out of tears but he felt the pain of them just as much in his heart.

The guard outside opened the steel slot but even the small hole was covered in bullet proof glass.

He said, "I can't let you out. I'm under orders straight from the boss."

Michael banged on the door in frustration, "How long have I got left?"

The guard looked at his watch and meanwhile Michael looked as far down the hallway as he could, but there was no one else there, "10 hours and 29 minutes."

"Thanks," Michael said.

The guard was about to reshut the slot when he stopped and looked at how much pain Michael was in. He asked, "Who is she?"

Michael asked, "What?"

Grady said, "The woman you were talking about. You said you needed to hold her one last time."

Michael studied the guard. He was relatively young and looked like he didn't belong at Division at all.

He asked him, "Why are you doing this? Keeping me company?"

The guard gave Michael half a smile, "Hey. You're Michael. You're legendary and I think that Division was wrong to cancel you. I've seen how you look after those recruits of yours, you care."

Michael smiled and whispered, "Here name is Alex."

"Alex, like the recruit, Alex?" The guard asked.

Michael laughed and said, "Yeah, that's her. Her full name is Alexandra though, I prefer it but she insists I call her Alex like everyone else. The first time I ever saw her, I, er, I thought she was beautiful. I've let her down and put her into tricky situations that I could have stopped and she still loves me."

"Wow," the guard said. "Sounds like she's worth it. I'm sorry she can't say goodbye, I honestly am."

Another guard approached Grady and said, "Percy has ordered me to switch with you. Apparently you're being too friendly with the prisoner."

Grady stood his ground and said, "Man, he's one of us."

The other guard shoved Grady out of the way and took over his post, "Not anymore he isn't, now move."

The guard who had taken over Grady's place said, "Let's get one thing straight. I don't feel sorry for you. In fact, I hope you rot in there."

He slammed the slot shut.

Michael slumped back down to the floor and now that his moment of relief had ended, the reality of things sunk back in.

**

* * *

****7 hours 18 minutes.**

Nikita, Owen and Alex pulled up in Alex's flashy red car 500 metres from the front entrance of Division. No one knew the exact whereabouts of Division except for very few Divison agents, Percy, Amanda, Michael, Birkhoff and of course, Nikita.

There was no official front entrance to Division. All there was was a small, green, corrugated shed on the outskirts of the city. Alex jumped out of the car and concealed her weapons in her pockets and jacket and waved goodbye.

"Good luck!" Nikita and Owen both shouted at the exact same time. They always did that and it annoyed them both how they had so much in similar.

She treaded through the knee- high grass and entered the rusty old shed. The guard on the inside of the door asked, "What's your name?"

Alex replied, "Alex. I'm a Field Agent."

The guard checked the database and then gestured Alex over to the small, secret elevator, where another guard was waiting to take her down.

Alex watched at the buttons lit up in a flash as they went down from G to -20 to B.

The guard swiped his card into the keypad and opened the elevator doors for Alex.

"Thank you," she said as she watched the guard nod and go back up to the surface.

The small elevator opened up to a hallway, but it was simple enough for Alex to figure out. There was only one grey door to go through, and behind it was the training level.

The recruits all greeted her and she smiled back. She had become some sort of a hero amongst them after she brought in Nikita. She looked around and smiled at all of the people that she missed. She even missed Jayden in a strange way. Alex tried to pick her out but she couldn't find Jayden anywhere among the mix which was strange because she usually spent all of her free time training to be better than Alex.

One of the recruits shouted out from the back of the room, "Do you know what happened to Michael?"

"No," she lied. "What happened?"

Another one muttered, "Go ask Percy. He was the one who authorised it."

_Well at least that gives me a reason to go and see him,_ Alex thought.

* * *

Before she went to see Percy, Alex knocked at Birkhoff's door and he swung around in his chair to greet her.

"Hey Alex, what's up?" Birkhoff had a cheeky grin plastered on his face. He was stuck at his computer for so long that he rarely came into contact with people who weren't recruits or other techy guys, or girls.

Alex breathed in and decided to tell Birkhoff something that would either get her killed, or help her save Michael.

She said, "Nothing much, but I do have a favour to ask you, from Nikita."

Birkhoff slid his chair towards Alex and dragged her by the arm. Pulling her in closer he whispered, "Nikki?"

Alex nodded and faced her back to the security cameras so they couldn't pick up on their conversation. No conversation was ever safe in Division because the walls, the ceilings and even the doors had eyes and ears, but it lulled her into a false sense of security.

Birkhoff's face was a picture when he realised everything, "You're the other person in cahoots with Nikita, Owen and Michael aren't you?"

"Yeah. You going to help me or not then?"

Birkhoff laughed and spun his chair back to his work, "I dunno. I'd rather not get cancelled."

Alex found it everything but funny. She spun his chair back around so fast he almost threw up. She grabbed him by his checkered shirt and hissed into his ear, "Yeah well if we don't help Michael that's what will happen to him! And I love him. I don't know about you, you may not love him but I know he's sort of your friend and you wouldn't want him to die would you?"

Birkhoff gulped and looked into Alex's eyes, she meant business.

"Okay, okay. Get off my shirt. What do you need?"

Alex let get of his shirt and he straightened it out giving her a dirty look, which she returned with dagger eyes.

Alex said, "I'm going up to see if Michael's okay. In about 8 minutes, I want you to set off the sprinklers through your computer, so Nikita and Owen can get inside without being noticed. Can you do that?"

"I can try," Birkhoff replied.

Alex kissed Birkhoff on his stubbly cheek and ran off to go and help Michael.

Birkhoff reached up to his cheek where Alex had kissed him, to see if he had been dreaming and shouted, "Awesome!" He spun around in his chair and carried on tapping away.

**

* * *

****7 hours 3 minutes.**

Alex pressed level 5 and jolted as the elevator took her up to the level where Percy's office was situated.

Alex ran straight past Percy's office, she didn't bother trying to be quiet, she had to see Michael's face and hear his voice as soon as possible. Her footsteps echoed through the rooms and people came out of their offices to see what was happening but Alex didn't stop until she reached the next elevator.

She jabbed the button for level 10 multiple times in a hopeless attempt for it to go up quicker, as she tried to slow her breathing down. People were watching her and some of the recognised her but the only thing Alex cared about was saving Michael's life.

Alex stepped out of the elevator with caution, there were three never ending hallways to choose from and the whole of the top floor was cloaked in darkness and masked by silence. It gave Alex chills to think how many people had died on the top floor since Division started.

Alex picked right and tiptoed down the hallways, side stepping to minimise her shadows that would eventually peek around the corner in front of her.

A faint voice of someone speaking bounced off the walls and rung in Alex's ears. She remembered what Nikita had said about a guard, and sure enough, there he was speaking into his radio.

_Think, think, think,_ Alex thought.

She couldn't shoot him from where she was because the sound would travel all through Division, she had to get close enough to kill him point blank, which would muffle the sound.

She pulled the bullets out one of her guns and slung them across the floor, they skidded until they smashed into the wall at the other side of the guard.

He walked over to pick them up and Alex sprinted down the hallway, pulling her gun that still had bullets out of her pocket, in the process.

She held the gun to his head and said, "Bye."

Alex would have usually had regrets about killing someone but like Owen had said, anyone in the way would have to be killed for the sake of them and Michael.

So she pulled the trigger.

**

* * *

****6 hours 56 minutes.**

Michael heard the gunshot and stood up, banging as hard as possible on the door to whoever was there.

He turned around and rubbed his face in his hands.

Alex opened the slot and banged on the glass for Michael, he was so close yet she couldn't reach out to him or hold him and it tore her apart inside.

Michael spun around and saw Alex's face framed by the window, her head resting against the glass and her doe eyes staring back at him.

Michael limped over to the door and rested his head against Alex's and closed his eyes, grateful to even see her again. Alex kissed the palm of her hand and rested it on Michael's face on the other side of the steel door.

Alex whispered, smiling at Michael, "Nikita and Owen are on their way. We're going to get you out of here okay?"

Michael gulped and opened his eyes to the sound of her voice, "Yeah. Alex, I just want you to know that I love you and please, never forget me, okay?"

Tears fell from Alex's eyes but she never looked away from Michael to wipe them. He smiled sadly, "You have some great friends and they'll be there for you if I'm not."

Alex said desperately, "No. No, Michael, please. You're not going anywhere. We're going to rescue you, just keep strong."

The sprinkles imitated Alex's tears as they showered her with cold water. She looked up to the ceiling and mouthed, Birkhoff thank you, to the camera. The security camera's red light flickered back three times.

An explosion shook the whole of Division and threw Alex into the wall, slamming her back.

* * *

"What the hell was that?" Percy said and the lights in his office flickered.

Amanda said as excitedly as ever, "They're coming to get Michael. Alert security and guard all of the exits."

"What about the breach that Nikita escaped through? She might try it again."

Amanda sighed as she watched Percy nervously twiddle his thumbs, "I doubt it, Percy. But if you're so worried, put Jayden on it."

"I thought you believed she wasn't fully capable or reliable," Percy questioned.

Amanda narrowed her eyes at Percy, why did he have to be so incompetent? "I don't but she can prove herself."

**

* * *

****6 hours 50 minutes.**

Nikita and Owen coughed at the amount of smoke they had caused by blowing up a metal grate. They climbed down the ladder that led into Division's weak spot and Owen pulled out a screwdriver and unscrewed the bottom two screws of the vent guard.

Owen held it up for Nikita to crawl through, then he climbed in backwards and screwed it shut behind him. They navigated their way through the hot vents until they came to their usual escape point.

Jayden was stood directly in front of the vent guard, with a gun and what Nikita guessed was a knife in her sock.

Owen propped himself up on his elbows and asked, "What do we do?"

Nikita looked at Owen. Their faces were so close together and his eyes melted her heart a tiny bit and she could have sworn he was leaning towards her. She watched Owen fixated on what he would do next but he just watched her waiting to see what she would do. Nikita bit her lip and turned away.

She said, "It's for Michael, we do whatever we can."

Owen smiled at Nikita's stubbornness but he would break her yet. He carefully took out the screwdriver from his back pocket and unscrewed the vent guard almost silently.

He whispered to Nikita, "Okay. I'm going to knock this down. That'll buckle her knees so she falls. Then you can finish her off."

Nikita whispered loudly back, "Whoa, hold on. I'm not just going to kill her. Besides the noise would be too loud."

Owen sighed, he never knew Nikita to choose a nicer option before, "What do you suggest?"

Nikita pulled out a tranquilizer gun and said, "This sweet baby."

Owen whispered, "One, two, three."

He rammed his shoulder into the vent guard and Nikita shot Jayden in the back of the leg with the tranquilizer gun.

Jayden dropped to the floor like a fly and she saw Nikita and Owen's faces looking over her as her vision faded to blackness.

"What now?" Nikita asked, her voice returning to its normal volume

Owen looked around and pointed to a supply closet and said, "Shove her in there."

Owen took Jayden's legs and Nikita took her arms and they carried her into the supply closet, they gagged her mouth with a towel so she wouldn't scream when she woke up in a daze, then they tied her to the back of a mop with some string they found in a box on the top shelf.

**

* * *

****6 hours 40 minutes.**

Nikita and Owen ran up the back set of stairs in Division, so they wouldn't be noticed in the sometimes busy elevators.

They appeared at the top floor and Nikita said, "Alright. I'll go right, you go left. Call me if you see anything.

"What about the middle?" Owen asked pointing to the only hallway Nikita hadn't mentioned.

Nikita said, "There's nothing down the middle. They just put it there to add to the confusion."

"That's stupid," Owen muttered as they went their separate ways.

Nikita followed the sound of Alex's voice comforting Michael.

"Alex!" Nikita shouted out. Alex ran down the hallway and almost knocked Nikita over with a hug.

"Am I glad to see you. You were right about this place, it's like hell, and just as scary." Alex mumbled into Nikita shoulder.

Alex released her and Nikita called out for Owen, "Owen. Down here I've got them."

Alex led Nikita to the room where Michael was being held and she looked into the room at Michael who smiled his amazing smile at her. She smiled back.

"Damn, Michael," Nikita said looking over his injuries.

Michael started to cough and he clutched his chest.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked Michael banging at the glass.

But it was Nikita who replied, "He's running out of oxygen. Owen!"

Alex aimed her gun at the glass but Nikita put her arm down and said, "Don't bother it's the strongest bullet proof stuff you can get."

Owen appeared around the corner, out of breath and sweaty.

"You get lost?" Nikita teased as Owen walked towards them.

She handed him her laptop out of her backpack and said, "Here start running through all of the possible codes for this keypad with the USB I gave you. Hook it up to my computer."

Alex started to pace around nervously with nothing to do, "How long until we get Michael out?"

Owen looked at Alex's desperate expression and said, "Well this thing runs through every possible combination. So when it finds one, then we can get him out."

Nikita said, "Alex. Division know we're up here. It's only a matter of time before they send someone to find us, it won't just be one agent either. Percy will send his own personal army."

Alex said, "I'll stay here with Owen and Michael. You go and hide down the middle corridor. Get them when they least expect it."

Nikita ran off and Alex went over to look at the computer.

The first letter to the code is, _B._

"Is the code just numbers?" Alex asked pointing to the screen.

Owen said, "Numbers, letters and maybe symbols."

Alex was getting even more anxious by the second and every time she glanced at Michael through the window she felt like she was going to be sick with worry.

"God, please just hurry up," Alex said, her foot tapping on the floor.

She went up to the door again and watched Michael through the glass, he was sat on the floor with his head in his knees and the veins on his pale crimson head were starting to stand out as he struggled to breathe.

**

* * *

****6 hours 32 minutes.**

The familiar sound of the elevators opening made Alex and Owen stop what they were doing.

Nikita was waiting in the shadows of the middle hallway, ready to pounce, but instead of an army, two agents stepped out and behind them hidden away was Percy.

Nikita decided to let Alex handle them and she moved further down the middle hallway to wait for the rest of them.

Alex heard footsteps run down the hallways in front of her and then straight down the hallway they were in, as the agents ran in a zigzag pattern, heading straight for them.

Alex shot them both dead with ease but she stopped when it came to Percy.

Her eyes widened and she started to get sweaty hands as they struggled to hold the gun straight.

Percy said, "Alex. So you are the mystery person. I should have known. You are so much like Nikita, that you would betray Division too. Oh, and the fact that your relationship with Michael was never that much of a secret. Did you know, he had a similar thing with Nikita? That's probably really the only reason why he likes you at all…"

Alex shouted, "Shut up! Michael loves me for me. You killed my family, you bastard, now I'm going to kill you."

Alex closed her eyes and the gun clicked in a ready position to fire.

_Bang._

Alex opened her eyes to see Percy on the floor with a bullet through his chest. She looked down at her gun. She hadn't even fired it.

Amanda stood behind him with a gun in her hand, which was now pointed at Alex and Owen.

**6 hours 29 minutes.**


	13. Ulterior Motive

****

I don't own Nikita or any of its characters etc.

_

* * *

__Hey, I have finally recovered from my tipsy episode on New Year's Eve. Hope you enjoy this chapter! Read and review please._

**

* * *

****6 hours 29 minutes**

"What the hell?"

Alex looked at Percy's bleeding body on the floor of Division and couldn't fathom why Amanda had killed one of her own.

She searched for answers in Amanda's face but her results were inconclusive.

"Shoot her!" Owen shouted, squatted at his computer.

The computer started to whir and it echoed a faint beep as they were one step closer to freeing Michael.

Alex frowned and looked at Amanda's cold, expressionless face, "I can't."

Owen stared at Alex like she was crazy and exploded, "What do you mean you can't? She just killed Percy, she's trying to kill Michael and now, if you don't hurry up and do something, she _will_ kill us!"

Amanda said, her voice devoid of emotion, "I think you'll find that Michael will die whether you kill me or not. In either case, well, I got what I've always wanted."

Amanda looked down at Percy and a smile grew on her face, outstretching to the corners of her eyes which where gleaming with happiness.

Alex titled to the side and watched as Amanda took pride in her accomplishment, but there was one thing she couldn't understand, "Why did _you_ kill Percy?"

Amanda twirled the gun in her fingers and stepped over Percy's dead body, which was turning a shade of ice blue. Which figured, because Percy was never one to be warm and caring.

Amanda said, "I never did like men who lacked leadership skills and Percy's… faults, where irritating me."

"So you killed him?" Owen asked. The woman in front of him appeared as if she could be even colder than Nikita, and she could be heartless if she needed to. "That's pretty messed up."

Amanda looked shocked at Owen's accusation, "Well, it was the rational thing to do. With Percy dead and Michael dying, the only person left in charge will be me."

"Why would you want to be in charge of Division?" Alex asked.

Amanda laughed, "I bet you'd love to know, but unfortunately you'll be dead before it matters."

Alex tugged down on her shirt which had ridden up her toned stomach and the corners of her pink lips rose with contempt.

"Give me the code." She ordered.

Amanda pouted at Alex's childish request. "And why would I do that?" She asked. "Then Michael would be free and that would be no fun at all."

Alex lunged forward at Amanda, who remained calm, but Owen grabbed her by her slim wrist before she could do any damage, "Why aren't we dead yet then?"

"Because," Owen said, realising what the situation had come to. "She wants to offer us something."

* * *

Alex's ears pricked up and Amanda clapped her hands patronisingly, "Well done, Owen. You figured that one out fast, it's somewhat of a shame that you can't be that fast with the code you're aimlessly trying to hack. Here's my preposition. You two leave now and you have my word I won't ever bother you again."

"What's the catch?"

Amanda smiled, "Ah, yes. Now we come to the interesting part. You two leave with your lives and leave Michael and Nikita to me."

"And what would you do to them?" Owen asked, faking interest, unbeknown to Alex.

"Owen?" Alex asked, without a clue to what he was playing at. "You're not actually thinking about accepting the offer, are you?"

Owen shushed her and Amanda said, "Well, I'm afraid they've had plenty of chances and it would be the end of the road for them. So, do we have a deal?"

"No!" Alex shouted. "We do not have a deal!"

"Yes, we have a deal." Owen shut his computer and stood up to shake Amanda's hand.

"Good," she said smiling past Owen, to Alex. "Leave and no one will have to know you were a mole, Alex. Your name will be wiped of the database forever. Now that sounds pleasing doesn't it?"

Alex yanked Owen away from Amanda but he held onto her arms as she struggled to fight him.

"No! Losing the two people I care most about in the world does not sound pleasing and good and all that other shit you said! I don't care about what Division does to me. I am helping my friends."

Amanda sighed, "Oh I'm sorry Alex, but it's too late. Owen has already agreed. Perhaps, if you had said something sooner?"

"Let go of me!" Alex screamed at Owen who had his arms wrapped around her upper body. "What the hell are you doing Owen! Do you _want_ them to die?"

"Bye, Amanda," Owen smiled tightly as he dragged Alex away from Amanda and the computer, their only hope of saving Michael.

"No!" Alex screamed but Owen didn't stop and he dragged her down the hallway until they disappeared from Amanda's view.

He released Alex from his grasp and she swung around and punched him in the face, making him stumble backwards into the wall.

"You son of a bitch!" She screamed. "Those people you just sacrificed were our friends, you selfish bastard."

Owen clamped his hand around her mouth and spun her until her back was against the cold wall. He leaned in closely and uttered to Alex, "Shut up. Okay, just calm down. I'm not leaving them I promise, but I do have an idea."

Alex bit his hand, hard, which made him take it away from her mouth. Freeing her to speak again.

"You could have told me!" Alex shouted in a whisper.

Owen clutched his hand where Alex's teeth had left an indentation and said through tight lips, "Amanda knows you love Michael, the whole goddam world knows! If your reactions to leaving him hadn't been real then she would have never believed us."

Alex rubbed her forehead. What the hell was Owen doing?

"I don't see how we can save them now that we don't have the computer. That was our only hope, so that other idea of yours better be good."

"Oh, it is," Owen smirked and Alex waited for him to share his idea, but it wasn't passing his lips as quickly as she had hoped.

"First we need to find Nikita." Owen said, as he wiped the last bit of blood from his hand on the inside of his designer leather jacket that Nikita had given him for his birthday.

**

* * *

****6 hours 5 minutes.**

"Nikita, where are you?" Owen called out into the blackness that surrounded them. They had only been walking for fifteen minutes, but the darkness and the labyrinth of walls and corners made it feel like hours.

Alex turned to Owen, with a brief moment of horror written across her face, "What if they've already gotten to her? Amanda said she would."

Owen rubbed her on the shoulder in a friendly, sympathetic way and said, "Nikita's a tough nut to crack. They won't find her, not up here. It's like Nikita's dream to have thousands of possible ways to turn and a million directions to run in."

Alex smiled at Owen, she misjudged him the first time she met him. When he wanted to he could me extremely friendly and he had the same way with words as Nikita that always consoled Alex.

"Nikita?" Alex started to worry, it wasn't like Nikita to not reply when she called.

Owen pulled Alex back by her shoulder and whispered, "Shhh, can you hear that?"

Alex listened intently and heard the soft noise of footsteps daintly tiptoeing down the hallway towards them.

Owen pulled out his gun from inside of his jeans and stepped in front of Alex.

"Switch on your torch, and aim it at the ground," he said as he held out his gun in front of him, continuing to walk towards the source of the noise.

Alex held her gun in her mouth while she dug out her torch from the bottom of her bag. She put the gun back in her other hand and switched on the torch, the light of which made both Owen and Alex squint to adjust their eyesight from the nothingness they had been wandering around in.

A shadow of a woman appeared in the torch's orb of light and the footsteps stopped.

"Don't say anything," Owen ordered as they froze.

Alex ignored Owen and whispered, "It won't be Amanda, she has her clackers on."

"Shhh!" Owen said waving his hand around frantically in front of Alex.

"But what if it's Nikita?" Alex hissed back, smacking his hand away from her face.

The shadow sighed and Nikita stepped into the light.

"You know, you guys really need to work on your whispering skills. Where's Michael?"

Owen and Alex exchanged glances and Alex had the courage to tell Nikita what had happened, "Amanda killed Percy."

Nikita's eyes widened like a deer caught in the headlights. Except Nikita wasn't a deer, and the headlights were just Alex's torch.

"She did what?" Nikita gasped, pushing the torch, which had made its way up to her face, back down.

"Yeah," Alex said as she felt Owen nod in agreement but he didn't bother to say anything. "Then she offered to let us go if we left her you and Michael. I guess she wants revenge on you two."

Nikita felt around in the darkness for Alex's arm and grabbed hold of it, "And you let her?"

Alex shook her head in disagreement, even though no one could see her and said, "That was Owen. But he has an idea, we didn't leave you both for nothing."

Nikita gulped, she knew it was risky, "Is it a good one?"

"Erm, well I don't exactly know. Owen didn't tell me." Alex said, feeling ashamed at how silly it all sounded when she said it out loud.

Nikita went slightly red in the face and raised her voice, "So, let me get this straight. You left Michael with Amanda and agreed to let her have me too, for an idea that you don't know yet, that may or may not work."

Alex said defensively, "We're supposed to trust each other and look out for each other! And it was Owen's fault, he dragged me away before I could refuse."

Owen chipped in, "So much for look out for each other."

Nikita slapped him on what she guessed was his chest, "Quit it. Owen, tell me your idea."

Owen perked up at the fact he could tell someone his 'genius' idea and said, "I figured that if we didn't leave Amanda would kill us and _then_ we couldn't warn you and she would have let Michael die. So, now with that threat out of the way I know how we can save Michael before it's too late."

Nikita sounded intrigued, "Do tell."

**

* * *

****5 hours 30 minutes.**

Owen stuck his head around the corner and watched closely and Amanda taunted Michael from outside of the solitary room he was being held a lonely prisoner in.

"Are we clear on how we're going to proceed?" Owen said, switching the tone of his voice from its usual relaxed self into mission mode. Nikita would never admit it but she found it quite hot.

"If this goes down well, and we rescue Michael, then I owe you big time," Nikita said to Owen without realising the connotations of 'I owe you'.

"Oh really?" Owen flirted, raising up one of his eyebrows at Nikita.

"Hmmm, maybe," Nikita teased, laughing at Owen's expectant eyes.

Alex put her finger in her mouth and pretended to gag, "Please. Even when we're about to do something really serious and possibly stupid you two are at it. Would you just kiss each other and get it over with already? Wait… No, in fact I changed my mind. The longer I can last without having to see you two play tonsil tennis, the better."

Alex poked Owen in the stomach and Nikita laughed. Alex laughed with her but inside she was hurting so much. The amount she missed Michael was indescribable although they had only been apart for less than a day.

Owen read through her laughter and said, "I'm sorry, we'll get Michael out as soon as possible."

Alex shut her eyes and tried to block the tears from falling, but they seeped through her long eyelashes, which fluttered open again almost instantly.

"Hey," Nikita said as she pulled Alex in for a hug. "It'll be okay, I promise. He's only there and there's just under half the time left before he runs out of oxygen. We'll get him back, and then show those bastards whose boss."

Alex laughed sincerely and pulled out a grenade from her bag and handed it over to Owen. She held on to it for a while and wished it luck, then released it into Owen's hand.

"Are you sure this little thing will get him out? The door looks pretty solid." Alex said, her voice was shaky, partly from crying and partly from the nerves which were taking over her body.

Nikita said, "This isn't going to blow the door off, but it will take out Amanda _and_ fry the keypad, which will hopefully unlock the door."

Owen watched as he rolled it around in his own hand. What if it went wrong? Then he'd be the one to blame for it. But it was no time for Owen to question himself.

He pulled out the safety mechanism and launched the grenade through the air. When he threw it, it was one of those moments when time seems to stands still but the person doing the action is the exception and has time to himself. Owen covered his ear with one hand and bent down into his knees to protect himself from the explosion, he pulled Nikita and Alex close to him with the other hand and they huddled together waiting for the explosion to finish and the smoke to rise.

**

* * *

****5 hours 25 minutes.**

Time regained its normality and all three of them coughed and spluttered through the smoke, to where the bomb had detonated.

Alex rolled over Amanda's body with her foot but she was already dead. Blood ran from her nose and when Nikita checked, there was no pulse.

Owen kicked down the steel door to the room and Alex left Amanda and ran inside, hoping to be embraced by Michael, but he was lying on the floor. Alex put a hand over her mouth and shook him, in a desperate attempt to wake him.

Nikita entered the smoky room and said, "Don't worry, he's just unconscious. He should wake up in a few hours, but for now Owen will have to carry him."

Owen bent down and put Michael across his shoulders, grunting with the heaviness of Michael's relaxed body.

Alex walked out of the cramped room and took in her surroundings. Amanda was dead, they had freed Michael. Had they done it? Finally, done it? Michael was on their side and Percy was dead. She had seen him die right in front of her…

Wait a minute, something wasn't right.

"Guys," Alex said, peering back into the room which was getting smokier by the minute. "Where's Percy's body?"


	14. Forget Me Not

**I don't own Nikita or any of its characters etc. **

_

* * *

__At the end of this chapter my favourite couple Malex are reunited! Yay :). I hope you enjoy this chapter, read and review as always please._

**

* * *

****24 hours after escape from Division.**

Alex watched from under the large umbrella as the tress swayed from side to side in a rainy rhythm. She closed her eyes and laid down on the blue and white deck chair on Nikita's balcony and breathed in the fresh air. The sound and the certainty of the rain hammering down on the ground 3 stories below her was relaxing and eased her mind of the one question that troubled her.

_Clack, clack, clack._

Nikita entered the room carrying new groceries, that she had just driven 2 ½ hours for. Alex squeezed her eyes shut tight and listened intently to the rain. _Drip, drop, splish, splash._

She put her bags onto the granite kitchen counter and pushed another 2ccs of saline into Michael's drip. Alex's eyelids fluttered open and she turned her head round and focused on Michael, he beheld such a look of peacefulness when he slept.

"Nikita," Alex gulped.

Nikita spun around, alarmed by the voice behind her, "Yeah?"

"When will he wake up?" Alex's heart pounded behind her chest, which was moving up and down rapidly.

"Soon, I promise," Nikita uttered, unsure of whether or not what she had stated to Alex, was true at all. "You should try and get some rest."

"I've tried, it's no use. Do you think Percy will come after us? Maybe we could just stay here forever and he would never know," Alex hoped optimistically.

Nikita wandered over to Alex and collapsed in the chair next to her, "Alex, you know that's not true. As soon as Michael wakes up we have to be thinking about moving somewhere else."

Alex reclosed her eyes and spoke, "What if he never wakes up? Then what do we do?"

Nikita knocked back the three shots of whisky that were perched on the edge of her miniature glass stand, "Don't even mention that, he'll wake up, and when he does we find somewhere to new to live. Now sleep."

She slurred the last sentence and hiccupped as she looked over the city down below, watching out for anything that would be a signal to get the hell out of there.

* * *

Owen shook Nikita and whispered, "Hey sleepy head, wake up."

How long had she been asleep for? She watched Alex breathing softly, happy in Dreamland and decided on not disturbing her. She smiled and pulled on Owen's muscular arm to help her up from the sunken seat.

"Hey, sexy. Ha ha, I'm awake." Nikita giggled poking Owen in the chest repeatedly.

Owen laughed at Nikita as she stumbled around the balcony tripping over her plants and standing on her own uncoordinated feet.

"Ow, that hurt _a lot. _Kiss it better?"

Owen pulled her up and led her into the loft, "Okay, I'd rather not kiss your foot. I think you might be drunk so you just stay right there while I go and get you some coffee."

Nikita kicked off her Cavalli heels and flopped onto the armchair, "You silly goose, I'm not drunk, I'm happy!"

"Uh huh," Owen passed her the mug of black coffee and sat on the arm rest, observing Nikita's jumpy movements. "Of course you're not, how could I have ever thought you were?"

Nikita laughed hysterically, "It's okaaay, I forgive you."

Owen noticed Alex asleep in the chair outside and smiled sadly. He twisted around and observed Michael's frail physique.

"Do you think he'll wake up?" Owen asked the tipsy Nikita who was now watching her fingers move fixated on her thumbs especially.

She broke her gaze with her fingers and stared up at Owen, slightly crossed eyed, "Well that depends."

"Depends on what?"

Nikita sighed and the smell of the alcohol on her breath floated up to Owen, "It _depends_ on whether or not he likes what he's got here. Which is us and not Division."

Owen nodded because she words Nikita was spitting out actually made some sort of mad sense.

"Do you think if we got Alex to talk to him that he might wake up?"

Nikita shook her head a little too fast and pouted, "Owen, he's unconscious from smoke inhal… inhalat…"

"Inhalation?" Owen finished for her.

"Yep, that's the sentence," Nikita laughed.

Owen was concerned at Nikita's state, "I think you mean word, how much have you been drinking?"

Nikita pushed Owen, rather pathetically and said, "Um, some? That's not the point, he's unconscious not in a coma. I doubt he'll hear us."

"Well don't you think it's worth a try? If I were Alex I'd want us to do everything we could," Owen tried not to laugh as Nikita chuckled, playing with her hair.

"S'pose we get her to try, and it doesn't work. It'll just make her feel down, like the ground. Ha ha, I'm hilarious. Why didn't you tell me how funny I am? Laugh, Owen." Nikita frowned as Owen turned his head away from her.

"No, Nikita. It's not funny now stop speaking and go to sleep," Owen left the armchair and went outside to keep Alex company and get away from Nikita. "Think about Alex, she could have gotten drunk but she didn't because she wants to be _sane_ when Michael decides to wake up."

Nikita pulled a quilt out from behind the plush armchair and shivered, "Killjoy."

* * *

Owen sat down next to Alex and she opened her eyes, "Hi."

"Hey," he replied, "I thought you were asleep?"

Alex took a sip of water and said, "I was, but then I heard Nikita crashing around like a tipsy elephant and I woke up. Now here I am."

Owen laughed, "Yeah I think she's taking everything a little hard than she lets on to us."

"Do you really believe there's a chance he might wake up if he hears me talking to him?" Alex inquired, her lips forming every word carefully, as not to make any mistakes in what she said.

"I think you have to try everything you can. I can't promise you anything but he loves you and I don't think he'd want to miss out on anything by being asleep."

Alex sighed and studied the cars as they whizzed past one another down the busy streets, "That's not what Nikita seems to think."

"Yeah well, she's drunk and off her head so she doesn't have a right to decide what will work or not," Owen stood up and held his hand out for Alex. "You coming?"

* * *

"… and that's when we reached the escape hatch," Alex held onto Michael's floppy hand as she recalled the events that had taken place after they had retrieved him.

"Keep going," Owen encouraged her from the kitchen where has was cooking something with peppers for Nikita, when she learnt how to be polite and respectful.

Alex scrutinized over every worry line on Michael's forehead. Would it really be fair to wake him up and make him endure the physical pain from the day he was tortured and bound?

"Owen carried you all the way up the ladder but we had to push you through the vents, sorry," Alex laughed as she remembered the struggle of pushing a grown man through a tiny space on his back, without hurting him.

"It was hard too. For a small dude, you're pretty heavy!" Owen shouted over the noise of the frying pan.

Owen's voice startled Nikita and she woke up, "What's going on? Is Michael awake?"

"No, not yet," Alex replied turning back to Michael to give him her full attention.

"Well what's Owen shouting at? Is Percy here?" Nikita sat bolt upright and Alex giggled at her blind stupidity. Owen threw the stir fry onto a plate and brought it over to Nikita.

"Here, eat up. And no, Percy isn't here it's just me and Alex talking to Michael," Owen passed the warm plate to Nikita and she licked her lips.

"Mmm," She said, her eyes lighting up at the sight of food. She hadn't eaten since they had escaped from the hell hole normal people called Division, she had been too busy looking after an unconcious Michael and Alex, who worried about him every second she was awake, "Looks good."

* * *

Beneath Alex's gentle hand Michael's finger twitched and she held her breath as she waited anxiously for it to move again. Alex was so homed in on his hand that she neglected everything else and missed Michael's eyelids slowly open and his eyes look around the loft, taking in his surrounding with a dopy smile.

"Michael!" Nikita called out, her mouth still full with food.

Alex stared in awe at Michael who was now awake and breathed in sharply, hoping she wasn't dreaming.

He coughed and said in a croaky voice, with a dry throat, "Hey, Nikita."

Owen looked up from the dishes he was washing and Alex leaned in to give Michael a kiss but he pushed her away. He frowned at her, examined her and asked questioningly, "I'm sorry but I don't really know… What are you… Who are you?"

Alex's heart felt so heavy she thought it had turned to stone. She squeezed onto his arm and cried out desperately, "Michael, it's me! Alex. Please tell me you remember me?"

Michael shook his head once and whispered, "No, sorry. Who are you to me?"

His last question sent Alex into despair and her eyes filled with tears, making her vision turn blurry.

_Who are you to me?_

His question rang through her head and she looked down at him, "I'm your… Well I don't really know what I am but, you love me, and I love you. That's Owen and Nikita, they love each other but they won't admit it."

Michael nodded and answered sadly, "Yeah, I know who they are. But it's you, you look familiar but I can't put my finger on it."

Both Nikita and Owen watched silently as Alex got up and left Michael without looking back. She kept her eyes on the ground and tears were running down her petite face but they refused to stop as she walked slowly and dragged her feet, back out onto the balcony, into the pouring rain.


	15. Up In The Air

**I don't own Nikita or any of its characters etc.**

* * *

_I'm sorry for the last chapter and the whole they get reunited thing. But I PROMISE they will be properly reunited at the end of this chapter, no lies :). I also want to thank my friend for helping me out with the bit at the end because I'm not too good with that stuff. Enjoy this chapter! Please read and review._

* * *

Alex wrung her sore, pink wrists again and again and glanced at the knife that she had cut the pineapple slices with. She picked it up and examined its sharp blade, the midday sun bouncing off of the reflective surface hit the brick wall behind her. Alex held it against her bronzed skin and pressed against the handle gently.

She sighed and threw it to the other side of the cluttered balcony, there was no use in trying to end it all. What would it achieve? A funeral that no one would attend, because everyone already thought she was dead and a group of upset friends?

Nikita appeared behind her with a sun hat in her hand, "Come on Alex, we're going."

"Where?" Alex asked without much care for the answer. She zoned out and mindlessly watched the lush palm trees rustle as the flocks of birds flew by.

"Spain," Nikita put on her floppy straw hat and a pair of Gucci sunglasses she pulled from her handbag.

"Really?" Alex didn't take her attention from the scenery, even when Nikita leaned against the balcony railing blocking her view.

"You know he'll come around eventually."

"He doesn't even remember me at all," Alex picked at her chewed nails and attempted avoiding Nikita's gaze.

"But he loves you," Nikita smiled, she knew how good it felt to have someone like Michael there for you. "And that's all that really matters."

* * *

Music blasted through the speakers of the radio and filled the car with music. The pink sunset outside shined through the glass and Alex rolled down her window as far as it would go, the heat that usually made her flustered, calmed her as she lost herself in the lyrics of the song.

_Picture you're queen of everything_

_Far as the eye can see under your command_

_I will be your guardian when all is crumbling_

_I'll steady your hand_

Alex studied Michael's face, the sun hit every angle perfectly and reflected into his deep hazel eyes. In the upper right corner of his mouth, a kiss sat on his lips that grew every time he smiled his scarily beautiful smile at Alex.

He pulled himself away from the rolling hills and turned to look at Alex, "Hey."

"Hi," she whispered back, the sadness inside of her had stolen the rest of her voice.

"You really don't remember anything about me, do you?"

Michael contemplated her question, "Only what I've been told. Apparently we're very much in love."

Alex threw her head back and laughed in a care-free tone, "Oh yeah we seriously have the hots for each other. I mean, we did."

"And," Michael said, giving Alex the intense look she had seen him use so many times before but the sheer power of it never faded. "I know that you're extremely pretty but I didn't need anyone to tell me that."

He held out his broad hand to Alex over the pile of suitcases that sat in between them and she placed her, dainty in comparison, hand into his palm.

They turned back to their own sides and admired the mountains from their respective windows but their fingers remained clasped.

* * *

Alex, Owen, Nikita and Michael threw their light hand baggage into the compartments above their heads and got seated into the first class airplane seats.

At the very back of the plane, by himself, sat a man dressed fully in black. His piercing blue eyes watched Alex as she adjusted her clothing and the corners of his mouth turned down into a frown.

"Nikita?" Alex poked her friend in the back. "Does that guy over there look a bit suspicious to you?"

Nikita swivelled round to inspect him, "Oh, I guess so but you shouldn't worry about him. You get a lot of weirdos on these things, just ignore him and he should find something else to stare at."

Seated in front of the two girls were Michael and Owen who were casually chatting about things that didn't matter much. Owen tossed Michael a steeply priced can he had bought from the airhostess and he caught it in one hand with extreme precision.

"Thanks."

Owen shifted in his white leather recliner so he could see Michael properly, "Let's have a man to man conversation."

"Um, okay," Michael laughed. "What do you want to talk about, man to man?"

"Alex loves you."

Michael nodded his head and smirked, "So I'm told. Again and again, she seems quite nice."

"Nice? She saved your life twice, while almost getting herself killed!" Owen scoffed.

"Really?" Michael cracked open the can and took a sip of the soda. "It's the first I've heard of it."

Owen lowered his voice so Alex couldn't pick up any snippets of his conversation, "That's because no one mentions you and Alex anymore… She's been a bit unstable lately."

"Damn," Michael muttered. "I wish I could remember something, anything."

Owen pulled out a picture of the four of them from his pocket. It was taken one afternoon after intercepting a mission, Michael had lifted Alex up into his arms and Nikita and Owen were smiling into the camera.

"Keep it, I have a copy," Owen said.

Michael scrutinized over the picture and then turned around to Alex, who was staring vacantly out of the foggy window. He folded it up, running his fingers along the edges of the picture and shoved it into the deepest pocket of his jacket.

Sadness flooded his face and he felt like he had lost the key for the memory of Alex he kept locked in a box in the very back of his mind.

"Thanks," Michael said. He laid his head back on the head rest and exhaled loudly as he reclined the chair, making it so that he could almost look up and see Alex.

"No problem."

Nikita said, "Do you wanna talk?"

"No," Alex retorted, mocking her offer. "I don't really feel like talking, or living."

Nikita smiled sympathetically, "Maybe you could just, start over with Michael?"

"No, it wouldn't be the same. The whole of our relationship is based on our time at Division and if he can't remember that then… I don't know. I don't know where we'll go from here and it pisses me off that he's sat right in front of me and I can't do anything because he got whacked over the head and hasn't got a clue," Alex ran her fingers through her brown hair and rubbed her eyes.

"I know," Nikita said softly holding Alex's hand. "I know."

Alex rested her heavy head on Nikita's shoulder and listened vaguely to Michael and Owen's conversation. She forced herself to go to sleep, no matter how much she wanted to stay awake, because in her dreams was the only safe place to be with Michael.

* * *

The smell of fresh ocean air was the first thing that hit Alex as she rested her head on Michael's toned stomach. The turquoise waves crashed on the shore like a thousand white horses and the blazing sun fell upon Alex's face she sifted the white sand through her fingers in a safe rhythm.

Michael ran his fingers up and down her arms and she laughed as the thin, wispy clouds turned into carousels and candyfloss. She leaped up and ran into the ocean, Michael smiled as he watched Alex splash around and when she beckoned him to join her, he followed.

Alex pushed him over and he dragged her with him into the salty water that danced around them. Then the dream ended the same way it usually did. The virtually clear blue sky started to turn black as if it was being blotted by ink. The water horses spooked, crashing their hooves down onto the sand and lightning flashed across the sky, turning the whole dream a vibrant blue. Thunder clapped and Michael got lost beneath the chaos. Alex treaded the water, searching for Michael but he was lost forever into the depths of the sea. Her Dream world shook, and her body with it.

Alex tipped into the ocean and her vision turned to black. When she opened her eyes again, Nikita was looking down at her with a worried expression drawn into the creases of her face.

* * *

"Alex, Alex are you alright?" The uncertainty in Nikita's voice was unusual, and Alex sat up to see what was wrong.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" She replied, scared by her question.

Nikita lifted a gentle hand and wiped Alex's flushed cheek, "Because you're crying."

"Oh," Alex swallowed and she lifted her shaky hand to wipe the remaining tear from her wet cheek. The hair framing her face was damp and she could taste the faint taste of salt on the tip of her tongue, it was almost like her dream had followed her out.

"Michael?" Nikita asked as she brushed Alex's hair away from her eyes.

Alex nodded and the dam broke as tears flooded from her eyes and ran down her long neck into her t-shirt.

Owen craned his neck around the seat, "What's wrong?"

Nikita signalled him to turn around rather aggressively with her arms and he put his hands up in submission. He formed an o with his mouth and turned back to his seat, making sure Michael was occupied so he didn't see Alex crying, over him.

The man in black shifted forwards and dragged his heavy boots along the airplane runway, "Hi. I couldn't help but notice that you were crying, is everything alright?"

Alex furrowed her tear stained brow and said, "Yeah I'm fine. Thanks."

"Everything is fine here," Owen confirmed for the unconvinced man. "Could you please go back to your own seat?"

The man cocked his head to the left and uttered a single word, "No."

"No? What do you mean no?"

Unfortunately he was interrupted by an uber-polite airhostess who gave the man her biggest mega-watt smile and kindly said, "Sir. Could you please return to your seat? Thank you."

"Whoa that was creepy," Owen said as he watched the man reluctantly return to his seat.

Nikita turned to Alex and whispered, "Maybe you were right. Alright, you keep watch and tell me if he does anything suspicious. If he tries to pull anything, we go in for the kill. You never know who he's working for."

There was something of a hint in her voice that caught Alex's attention.

"Division?" She hissed.

"You never know," Nikita said turning back to her book, of which she was already halfway through.

Alex hesitantly turned her head ever so slightly and caught a glance out the corner her eye of the man, who was continuously watching her, with an odd smirk and squinted eyes.

Alex stared back and the man looked away with a smile on his otherwise straightened face. She leaned forward and tapped Michael on the shoulder with two fingers, "Do you have a gun?"

Michael frowned and looked at Alex like she was on drugs, "No. This is an airplane. How could I have a gun?"

Nikita pulled a pistol from her pocket and handed it over to Alex without ever taking her eyes off of her book.

Michael raised his voice and shouted quietly, "How did you get that in here?"

Nikita laughed, "I always carry my gun with me, jealous Michael? That I could get a gun through security and you couldn't? Now shush, I'm reading."

* * *

Alex slung her clothes into the wardrobe, the Spanish heat was deadly and she needed to find something cooler to wear.

_Dammit, where have my shorts gone!_

She tipped her suitcase upside down and emptied the contents of it onto her double bed. She trudged over to the French doors and swung them wide open, letting the smell of morning fill the room.

"Alex?" Michael called from outside of the bedroom door. "Are you alright? I heard some banging and I just wondered if you were okay."

Alex flopped onto the bed and shouted back, "Yes, I'm fine! Now just… go away Michael!"

Silence.

_Shit,_ she thought to herself.

"I'm sorry," she apologised. "I'm fine, really. I'm just a little stressed, it's too hot and I can't find my bloody shorts!"

"Can I come in?" Michael asked as he paced up and down the terracotta tiled hallway waiting for an answer.

"One minute!" Alex called. She pulled out an old, faded, white vest top that reminded her of her days in Division from the heap of clothes and yanked it over her head. "Sure, come in."

Michael walked into the villa bedroom with a stride and perched himself on the end of Alex's bed, "Do you want to tell me why you're so stressed?"

"No," Alex replied, then quickly changed her mind. "Maybe… Okay, yes. It's you."

"Me?" Michael gasped in a fake surprise. "What could I have done?"

Alex laughed, "This is not funny. It's you. The way you look at me and you still can't remember. The way you smile at me but you're not smiling at me the way you used to. The way you… The way you have that little kiss, right there, but it's never for me."

Alex traced Michael's lips with her finger, she drew in a sharp breath as he moved in closer. He smiled, "The way you watch me, hoping and praying that I'll remember. The way my mind keeps me awake at night running through every possible thing that could trigger my memory. And the way it kills me inside to know that I'm missing out on something I don't even remember, yet I can feel somewhere deep down."

"Wow," Alex breathed and she tilted her head up to match Michael. She turned her head and parted her lips as her mouth finally stole that kiss back. She closed her eyes and pushed him away. "No, I don't want to do it. Not like this. Not if you don't remember how we fell in love in the first place."

Michael grinned, "I believe it was at the Washington Starlight Ball when I kissed you as a distraction."

Alex's heart started to race and she felt herself say, "You remember? How do you remember? How do I know you didn't get that information from Nikita, or maybe even Owen?"

She had been hurt so many times before that she refused to let Michael back into her heart until she was one hundred per cent sure that his mind knew what his mouth was saying.

"Trust me?" He asked with a glint in his eye.

"Tell me something only you would know," Alex spoke, finally catching her breath again.

"Well," Michael said. "Your full name is Alexandra. Nikita saved you. You saved me, twice. We've never spent a night together, because I was worried I would break your heart one way or another. You're convinced Owen and Nikita are perfect for each other, but they deny everything…"

"So?" Alex butted in. "Anyone could have told you those things, I meant something from the heart, something so personal there is no chance that anyone but you would know."

"I hadn't finished," Michael whispered as he placed his hand against Alex's soft face. "And… Alex from the first moment I met you I knew you would drive me insane, make me cry, make me laugh, make me feel love again. When you told me you loved me, when the warehouse was breaking apart all around us, I knew that I would never be able to get you out of my head. So, that's why I decided to tell you how I had felt from the beginning. I told you I loved you, and I'm telling you again. I remember exactly who you are, and I still love you so you don't have to be afraid anymore… You don't have to feel alone in the world, so alone you would feel the need to do something stupid."

He examined her wrists where she had been rubbing them constantly and he brought them up to his lips and kissed them.

"Alex," he said with tears in his eyes and a kind smile on his face. "The thought of ever losing you again made me feel so dreadful and I couldn't bear to think of what could have happened if I had realised any later."

"You remember?" Alex said as tears filled her eyes and her lips quivered, she stood up to look at Michael properly and he stood up to meet her,

"I remember," Michael repeated, and he wiped away the tears from her face. "Can I kiss you now?"

Alex nodded and Michael kissed her so passionately that she felt her knees buckle beneath her and with one swift movement he pushed her up against the wall. She melted to his touch and Michael made his way down her neck with kisses.

He lifted her leg up and carried her over to the bed and gently placing her down he held onto her waist while he met her eyes and pushed against her. She was his and he wanted to cherish every single moment. She whispered sweet nothings and wrapped her legs around his back, caressing the back of his neck and stroking his face.

She laughed and pushed him away, "That was the best kiss I've ever had."

"Really?" Michael said, smiling at the beautiful girl laid next to him.


	16. Love Unsought

**I don't own Nikita or any of its characters etc.**

_

* * *

__Hey, sorry it's been longer than usual since I last updated but I've been planning for my birthday, which is really soon! I feel so old, but of course I'm not ;). Kind of a flashback thing going on in this chapter with Nowen. Hope you enjoy this chapter, read and review please_.

* * *

Love sought is good, but given unsought, is better.

- William Shakespeare

* * *

Nikita glared at Owen, she was sat, hostile at one side of the room and him at the other. The hot, musky smell of the evening filled the room and the full, luminous moon swam in the marble floors of the Spanish villa.

Alex and Michael had gone out for the day to a long stretch of white sand a few miles South and Nikita and Owen were left alone, neither of them taking their focus from the other.

She clenched her fists until her knuckles turned a porcelain white, her deep brown eyes ablaze with intensity. When she broke and her face naturally flinched, the corners of Owen's mouth turned up into a vague, imperceptible flash of a smile.

Owen sighed dramatically and slouched down into his seat, looking around the room to escape from Nikita's fixated expression. She remained silent.

An icy silence closed in around them and Owen shivered at the contrast between the Mediterranean heat and the warmth, or lack of, between the two voiceless souls.

Owen raised his bruised purple hand to his mouth and cleared his throat, "Are you okay? You've gone kind of red. Wait, are you actually _blushing?_"

Nikita narrowed her eyes even further as she stared Owen down, pushing the nagging feeling to the back of her mind, she swallowed, "You shouldn't have done that Owen, you really shouldn't have."

One hundred thousand words couldn't have described how Nikita felt at that moment.

**

* * *

****1 hour earlier.**

Nikita flipped open her sturdy laptop and started to hammer at the faded letters that were lined up in a row along the keyboard. Since she had warned Alex about the possibility of Division following them, she had been constantly searching for clues they might have left behind, but paranoia was setting in, not just for her, but for everyone.

She took a sip from the steaming mug of black coffee Owen had made her before he went to sleep and checked the time in the corner of the screen, _10pm._

Nikita rolled her cursor down the page and watched as the laptop scanned countless lists of encrypted information and codes, but the search came back with nothing suspicious. She leaned over to grab a pen and paper when Owen emerged from his room with scruffy hair and bags which circled his sleepy, cornflower blue eyes.

"Hey, can you type any louder?" He asked sarcastically and Nikita turned around to Owen in his boxer shorts, stood against the door frame, his tired head falling forwards, "Some of us are trying to sleep."

"Actually," Nikita retorted. "It's only you who's trying to sleep so it doesn't count."

He eyes travelled up and down Owen's defined body, examining him quickly, "And could you _please_, put something more on if you're staying in here?"

Owen laughed and put his hands on his hips, his legs in a strong stance, "Why? Does my amazing body make you feel a little hot under the collar?"

"Owen."

"Yeah, I get it," He dragged himself over to the armchair and wrapped himself in a robe. Nikita attempted to avert her gaze when he turned around, but the temptation grew too strong. She had been single for longer than she could care to remember and he was reasonably good looking, for someone so irritatingly annoying.

He hauled a wooden dining chair from the blue and white tiled table and seated himself close to Nikita. She ignored his warm breath against her face as he inhaled and exhaled slowly, watching her as she continued to type.

"So," Owen said in a deep, alluring voice. "Have you found what you're looking for yet?"

The tone and expression in his voice implied that it wasn't just work he was talking about. Nikita drew a sharp breath and said almost instantaneously without a second thought, "Nope."

He inched in closer and whispered into her ear, "Are you sure about that."

Nikita's eyes flickered with the reflection of the words on her screen and she stumbled to find the words that were shooting around in her head.

"Owen," she whispered, reluctantly pulling herself away from the space of air they were sharing. "Please, don't. I've already told you, I don't want this."

Her rejection hit him hard and with a forlorn look swept across his face he asked, "Why not? I mean, you like me don't you? So why do nothing about it?"

Nikita blinked slowly and murmured, "I don't know what you're talking about Owen. Maybe you should just go back to bed, okay?"

Nikita felt the pulse in her neck throb and her whole body stiffened. The thought of Owen realising her feelings for him had her literally on the edge of her seat, "Please?"

* * *

Owen clapped his hand down on the desk and looked away briefly before admiring Nikita's beauty and arrogance once again, "Don't act like you don't feel it too. So, if you're going to lie to me, you might as well give me a hell of a good reason for saying no."

"I don't see why I should. It's none of your business," Nikita announced, looking at Owen for the first time since he had been next to her.

An unnerving Owen glared at Nikita's stubbornness. Although no one else was around he said in a low, hushed voice, "By saying no, you're making it my business. You can't just say no and not give me a reason."

Nikita looked away from Owen and spoke quietly, "I have."

"A real reason."

She swallowed and flashed a look at Owen that was only supposed to be brief, but she somehow lost herself in his captivating eyes and found herself saying, with crushed confidence, "I don't feel like setting myself up for failure and being hurt, again."

Owen nodded, slowly taking in the words she was saying, "I wouldn't hurt you, Nikita. And who says it has to fail?"

Nikita choked up and her shaky voice caught in her throat, "I know you wouldn't hurt me, not on purpose anyway. But I've lost so many people that I care about and I couldn't bear to make it anymore, so over the years I've given myself a guard and you won't be able to break it. No one can."

Owen reached over the laptop, stroked her hand and then grasped it. He smiled sadly and said, "Maybe I _can_ break it. How can you be so certain that your guard is indestructible if you never give anyone a chance to love you?"

Nikita shut her eyes and whispered, "No, Owen I can't. Please, just respect that."

"The thing is," Owen started. "I don't think I can. How can I just sit here and watch you hurt when I know there is something that I could do to try and make you feel whole again? The answer is, I can't."

"Well you'll just have to learn then," Nikita said, peeling back Owen's fingers, to release her hand.

* * *

"I never was that good at studying," Owen whispered. He moved so close to Nikita that there was no chance she could look away and he kissed her softly at first, building up a speed until she gave way and kissed him back. Her lips tingled as the roughness of the kiss made her lips red but she didn't stop. It felt so good just to be able to let go, even for a moment.

Owen raised himself from out of his seat and leaned towards Nikita more, his hands slowly moved towards her waist, brushing her legs. She loosened to his grip and held the back of his neck as Owen nudged his head against hers as they lost themselves in the kiss.

When he moved away from her lips and down to her neck reality set in and she mumbled, pushing him away.

He looked at her confused, "What's wrong."

"Dammit!" Nikita shouted swiping her pen and paper from the table, they landed on the floor with a clatter.

"What?" Owen asked again.

"I shouldn't have kissed you."

* * *

Nikita narrowed her eyes even further as she stared Owen down, pushing the nagging feeling to the back of her mind, she swallowed, "You shouldn't have done that Owen, you really shouldn't have."

One hundred thousand words couldn't have described how Nikita felt at that moment.

"It was a good kiss though, you have to admit," Owen laughed but he stopped when he saw that Nikita's serious expression had remained the same.

Nikita softened slightly and sunk into the chair, "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

Nikita sighed and studied Owen's face, "For kissing you back when I have no intention of doing it again."

Owen's smile disappeared from his face and he said, "Come on, don't be like that. You're afraid to take the risk of learning to be comfortable with someone else again, I get it. But please don't lie to me. If this is something you _really,_ honestly don't want, then fine. But if you're just saying that to protect yourself… Just please, do not lie to me, I don't think I could take not being with you because you… You are your own guard."

Owen had figured it out, the thing keeping people out, her guard. Was herself.

Nikita watched as the wind gently blew the trees through the window. She looked at Owen and then back out of the window, and then at Owen again. Did she really want this? Was it right? Was Owen right?

If she was going to say yes, she didn't get to, because in that fraction of a second a gunshot echoed in the distance and a bullet shot through the window, shattering it into thousands of shards of glass that flew through the air following the same direction as the bullet.

Time stopped and Nikita turned away, covering her face with her hands as they were cut by the flying shrapnel. The bullet sliced through the air, making its way towards its target. Owen stumbled backwards clutching his stomach and looked down to see red on his hands as he fell straight to the floor, kneeling in a small pool of his own blood.


	17. Alissa

**I don't own Nikita or any of its characters etc.**

_

* * *

__Hey, there will be the appearance of a new character! I hope you liked the last chapter, lucky Nikita eh? This is for my friend Alissa, who wanted to kick some ass ;). Hope you enjoy this chapter, please read and review._

* * *

Owen's usually vibrant eyes glazed over and he scrutinized the blood on his hands, frowning at the strangeness of the bright colour. Nikita whipped her head around in a snap causing her long hair swish into her face, "Shit! Owen!"

Owen clutched the source of the searing pain in his stomach and slouched back against the terracotta walls, his face an amalgamation of despair, fear and anguish.

Nikita bolted across the room and skidded to a halt at Owen's side. Her numbness controlled her mind and body and she knelt down, ignoring the growing pool of deep red blood underneath her. Pressing down onto the wound she muttered something incoherent, Owen's face drained of all of its remaining colour and he swallowed, "I'm sorry."

She compressed the wound which by that time was swimming in blood, "Goddamit Owen, you better shut the hell up! There is no way you're saying your goodbyes. Look at me, look at me!"

Nikita secured Owen's anaemic, washed- out face in her stained hands, his own blood over both of them, "Yes. Yes! Yes, okay I lied. I do want to be with you. So you better hold on otherwise I'm going to be seriously pissed."

Owen laughed soundlessly but the vibrations in his chest caused him to spit up blood that ran down Nikita's wrists and into her long sleeved t-shirt.

"Shhh," she comforted Michael and stood up, her trousers were soaked with what should have been inside of Owen and she began to pace the lengths of the chaotic room.

"Um, okay," Nikita stuttered, wiping her hands on her semi-opaque shirt. "Just keep hold of that and I'll call you an ambulance."

Owen shook his head gently, his voice faint, "No, don't. That's the first place Division will look when the shooter realises I'm not dead yet."

"I am not letting you die!" Nikita shouted, her anger building up inside of her. She had let down her guard, convinced she had had enough terrible things happen to her that there couldn't possibly be any more, and now Owen was in her care, slowly bleeding to death on the floor.

Nikita grabbed the phone from the desk and desperately hit the buttons.

"Hola. Ambulancia por favor," Nikita blurted out in perfect fluent Spanish.

Owen winced gingerly and looked down at his wound which was seeping with blood even faster than before.

Nikita hung up the phone and quickly dialled in another number, frowning when she repeatedly messed up the sequence of numbers.

"Alex?" She said. "You need to get back here right now and bring Michael with you."

Owen glanced up from examining the bullet hole in his side and Nikita met his gaze, "No, everything's not fine. Owen's been shot."

The quiet sound of shouting and confusion came from the other end of the line. Nikita sighed, "No, look. Just calm down and meet us at the hospital, okay?"

"Yeah," Alex gulped and she turned to find Michael.

"Good, I'll see you soon," Nikita replied, throwing a rag to Owen, who used it to wipe his face, scrubbing at the harder, drier patches.

* * *

Michael frowned at Alex's overwhelmed expression and asked, "What's wrong Alex?"

Alex mouthed, unable to find the words to say, "Owen's been shot."

"What?"

Alex nodded slowly in confirmation and whispered, "…Shot."

"Damn," He uttered, searching around for his mobile phone, which was buried in the sand.

"What?" Alex asked as she watched Michael dig his phone up.

"Nikita," he started, blowing the tiny sand dots from the screen. "She's alone with him, trying to save his life."

Back at the villa, the silhouette of a slim woman running across the star-dotted skyline with her gun was clearly visible on the strikingly clear night. She slung her bag over her narrow shoulders and turned back to look at the villa and the life of someone she had destroyed. Her long blonde hair glowed under the moon's light and her vivid green, wolf- like eyes narrowed, squinting to get a better look.

* * *

Nikita sat with her eyes shut in the uncomfortable, solid chair and listened to the muffled _tick tocks _of the hospital clock which was sat upon the far end wall. Her friends were all around her, trying their best to be comforting, but sure enough inside of her heart, she felt painfully alone.

Nikita nipped at her raw lips and glanced nervously at the doors of the OR, which had been slammed shut as she was left stranded behind them, looking outside in.

"Nikita," Michael sighed, watching as she sucked the blood she had accidentally drawn. "You did a good job, and he's going to be okay, he going to be fine just you wait and see."

Michael clutched her quaking her but she withdrew, the last thing she needed was human contact, especially when Michael reminded her so much of Owen.

The double doors swung open and pounded against the cold walls, the sound rang through Nikita's ears and she looked up to see the medical team wheel Owen out and up to the recovery ward. A nurse, petite in stature but with strikingly pointed features came over to speak to the three irritable people, who were waiting for some answers to their multitude of unanswerable questions.

She seized her scrub cap in her hands and offered the expectant faces an explanation, "Surgery went as planned, although we had _some_ trouble tying off the arteries that were severed. It's a miracle he survived at all, whoever stopped the bleeding did a damn good job at it. A few hours and he should be able to go home and rest."

All of the tension and grief flooded out of Nikita and she hugged Alex who was equally as ecstatic.

"Can we go and see him now?" Michael asked.

"Yes," the nurse said in a deep Spanish accent, "But be warned, he is still drowsy from the anaesthetic we gave him, it will wear off soon enough though."

"Gracias," Nikita replied, her face a picture of relief.

* * *

She turned on her heel to follow the nurse when the automatic doors behind her hissed as they cracked open to reveal a tall woman. She was older than Alex but younger than Nikita and her dazzling eyes were undeniable.

Her sky-scraper heels clacked on the floor as she ran up the hallway, towards the nurse. Her high, fair ponytail swayed from side to side and the look of intensity on her face increased with every step she took.

"Hi," she said, her smile shining compared to the dull surroundings of the primeval hospital.

Nikita quickly looked at the woman stood beaming at her and gave a one word answer to her greeting, "Hello."

The smile remained on the woman's face and she asked hurriedly, "Are you Nikita?"

"I'm sorry but I don't seem to know you. Must have, you know, slipped out of mind my when my _friend was shot_," Nikita retorted, putting emphasis on the last three words, hoping the woman would take the hint and walk away.

But the woman didn't budge, instead she held her hand out and Nikita hesitantly shook it. Out of breath, she said "I'm Alissa, a friend of Owen's? Maybe he's mentioned the name to you. I heard what happened to him, it's just _awful_ isn't it?"

"Yes. It is," Nikita spoke blankly, turning round to question Michael with the expression written over his face, he shrugged and mouthed, _do you know her?_

Nikita shook her head in small, precise movements that only Michael could detect.

"So you just happened to be in the same town as Owen, in another country, at the same time?" Nikita didn't like to sound of what was coming out of Alissa's perfectly defined, heart-shaped mouth.

Alissa grinned and laughed in a way that got under Nikita's skin, like only Amanda could, "It's funny isn't it?"

"Yeah. Hilarious." Nikita gave her her answer in one worded sentences, and even that was more than she deserved.

"Oh!" Nikita laughed with as much sincerity as she could muster up, "You're _that_ type of friend."

She looked Alissa up and down, she was tall, absolutely stunning, nice and happy _and_ younger than Nikita, why wouldn't she and Owen be _that_ type of friends? She couldn't believe how utterly _stupid_ she had been to think that Owen really liked someone as used and broken as Nikita.

"Erm, yeah. If you like," Alissa frowned down at Nikita who was running her hands through her caked hair, doe eyes widened in disbelief. Owen was going to get a piece of it when he woke up, so why not let him spend time with his little bitch?

Nikita cocked her head in the opposite direction as Alissa and said through gritted teeth, "He's just come out of surgery, I don't think going to see him is such a good idea. Maybe you should come back in a few hours?"

The nurse who had been listening in to their conversation tapped Alissa on the shoulder helpfully chipped in, "Oh no, the doctor has just paged me saying that Owen is awake and asking for his girlfriend, which must be you," she pointed at Alissa and gestured towards the elevator, which was already waiting for them.

Alissa turned around with such grace that she looked like a ballet dancer performing a pirouette.

"Bye guys," she shouted from halfway down the hallway. "We should all go out together and have coffee after this, wouldn't that be fun?"

* * *

"You people can go in and visit after Miss. Marion is done," The nurse patted Nikita on the shoulder and jogged to the open elevator. As soon as the steel doors closed shut Nikita spun around and screamed, "Who the hell is she?"

"His… girlfriend?" Michael said, blatantly unaware of just how scary Nikita could be when she was angry.

"Don't worry," Alex said, slightly more cautiously than Michael did with his remark. "I'm sure they're just friends."

"No!" Nikita shouted, glaring at nothing in particular. "You heard _exactly_ what she said."

"Erm, yeah. If you like," Nikita mimicked Alissa in her sugary sweet voice and pranced around. Alex and Michael stifled their inappropriate laughter.

"Dammit!"

"What? It's not like you even liked him that way, is it?" Michael asked, shocked by the amount of noise that could come out of Nikita's tiny frame. Alex whispered into his ear when he finally caught up to the two girls, his face was a sight.

"Oh, right, sorry," He mumbled to the floor, smiling slightly. He had always found it hilarious when Nikita went on one of her famous rants.

* * *

"Hi Owen," Alissa spoke softly and she quietly locked the doors behind her as she entered Owen's private room. She stroked his head and perched herself next to him.

"Mmmm… Who are you?" The anaesthetic slurred his voice Alissa laughed delightedly, she put her legs onto the bed and rested her head against Owen's.

"I'm a friend," she whispered into his ear. "Now, are we going to be good and have your medicine?"

She pulled out a bottle of clear liquid from the pocket of her leather jacket and showed it to Owen, "What's that?"

"Oh," Alissa shook the bottle and Owen frowned, the swirling motions hurting his head. "It's to help take away the pain."

Owen pushed his head up on the pillow and blinked, his vision focusing in on Alissa's sweetheart face, "I don't feel any pain."

Alissa walked her fingers down Owen's chest and stopped at the site of his injury and with her painted fingernails, she jabbed into the bullet hole. Owen coughed and spluttered, screaming in pain.

"Everyone feels _some_ pain, Owen," she pouted her lips and held up the bottle again. "Now, are we going to be good this time and have our medicine? Or do I have to prove that I can cause you so, so much pain."

Her voice rose on the last word and her eyes lit up at the sight of Owen squirming in pain. He nodded and gritted his teeth and she jumped from the bed and advanced towards Owen's drip.

* * *

"Guys, I don't like this," Michael spoke in his low voice, Alex nodded in agreement. "She's been in there way too long."

"Why should I care?" Nikita remained her stiff composure and picked at her fingernails. "If he wants to date Alissa, I hope he has tons of fun with it."

"Nikita!" Alex yelled, shocking her into listening to what she had to say. "Stop acting like you don't give a damn! And I say this because I love you but you need to stop acting so… so up yourself that you can't see that something isn't right!"

Michael whistled and Nikita gave him a look so enraged it could have burnt holes through his skin. She looked between Michael and Alex and when no one volunteered she dragged herself towards the elevator, "I hope you're happy, because I'm not."

Alissa unscrewed the lid of the medicine and opened the IV, she watched Owen watch her and grinned back at him, "This won't take very long to work, so just lay back and relax. In a minute you'll be asleep."

Owen fluttered his bruised eyelids closed and relaxed his body into the bed.

Alissa titled the bottle and the fluid slowly dripped into the bag, a drop at a time. The handles of the door blew off and the door was booted down. An exceedingly ferocious woman stood in the gap and screamed, "Who the hell do you think you are?"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Oooh what will Nikita do to her? Just wanted to say that my friend doesn't act like that in real life, just incase you were wondering. Oh and if anyone wants to see what Alissa looks like in my story then she is my profile picture on my profile :).


	18. Let It Go

**I don't own Nikita or any of its characters etc.**

_

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__Hey, only 11 more days to go!... Hope you enjoyed the last chapter. Something so mind- blowingly shocking will happen soon so please keep on reading and reviewing. Also there will be more MALEX action to come soon. Yay! Hope you enjoy this chapter, read and review please._

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"Who the hell do you think you are?" Nikita's strained voice pierced through the silence in the hospital room, and the ringing in her ears caused Alissa to come to a standstill. The interruption would have made anyone flinch but Owen didn't stir from the state of deep sleep he had entered moments ago.

The light that sprung from Alissa's emerald eyes grew brighter and she steered her body so it was parallel to Nikita's, "Oh, hi there. I'm a tad busy at the minute so if you don't mind could you please wait outside?"

Nikita's jaw tensed up and she took a threatening step towards Alissa, "You better watch how you talk to me little girl because I might just have to lose my temper with you."

Alissa dropped the empty glass bottle to the ground and smiled as it smashed at her feet. Allowing herself to look up she matched Nikita's stance so that their feet were touching, "That would be a shame now wouldn't it? Happiness is the best policy after all."

"Who the hell do you work for and _what_ did they do to screw you up so much?" Nikita couldn't give a damn what they did to her, but the idea of Alissa finally losing her control and her temper was something she unquestionably wanted to witness.

"Doesn't matter now," Alissa spat her answer out, spraying it onto Nikita's skin. "Because I've done what I needed to do… Big guy over there won't make it through the day, and I'll be happy to sit here and watch if you have something better to do."

Nikita's fist cracked against her face and she watched in contempt and with pride in her accomplishment as Alissa doubled over, her hand covering where her face had reddened from the blow, "You're really gonna wish you hadn't done that you stupid bitch."

Nikita laughed patronisingly and growled, "Bring. It. On."

Alissa lunged at Nikita, arms outstretched and a look of hatred was plastered across her usually sweet face but Nikita blocked her, thrashing a tray of surgical instruments across the floor. She grabbed onto her opponent's long blonde locks and yanked them as hard as she could, sparing Alissa from an ounce of mercy. Alissa grimaced as she extended her body as far away from Nikita as she could, seizing a scalpel that was resting innocently on the side, she held it underneath Nikita's chin. Alissa's attempt at forcing her head down to meet it failed, Nikita was stronger than her and the scalpel flew from her hand and it skidded across the floor, crashing against Owen's stat monitor.

Michael, who had left Alex alone to look after herself, charged into the room and dragged Alissa away from Nikita on her heels and in one swift motion, he and Nikita flipped Alissa and her body pounded with a thud against the compacted concrete.

Flipping her hair away from her face Nikita muttered, "Thanks."

"Mm," Michael raised his eyebrow and Nikita shrugged her shoulders at his expression.

Michael dropped to his knees, "Who are you working for, eh?"

"Ha," Alissa pouted her defined lips and wiped away the droplets of sweat from her furrowed brow. "Would you like to know you little shit?"

The sting of Michael's ice cold gun against her cheek left an indentation of its pattern, making Alissa's face no longer flawless in the electric lighting.

"Does he know we are here?"

"Oh please, now you're just dreaming. As if I'm going to tell you _that_. Now piss off," Alissa laughed at her remark, but she laughed alone and Michael struck her again, splitting the skin underneath her squinted eyes.

He bent so his mouth was millimetres apart from her ear and he hissed, "Do you want me to keep doing that or would you rather get the hell out of here with your life?"

"Everyone has to feel pain sometimes," Alissa laughed. She looked up at the ceiling and her eyes danced around the bright strips of light.

"You're sick in the head, you know that?"

Alissa smiled and whispered, drawing Michael back to her with her finger, "Would it make you sad if you heard what you already know, but you just don't want to hear?"

Michael didn't even have to answer to her mind games because she read the expression that flooded across his intense face, "Well, in that case. Guess what? Percy knows and he promised that he's going to hunt you down until every last one of you is dead. I'm just his new go to person since Amanda died. It's a shame that isn't it? It's quite lucky in a way, it saved Percy from doing it himself."

Michael lowered his voice but not in a sexy way, in a way that always scared the hell out of Alex when he used it, although she would never admit that to him, "Damn you."

* * *

Lights flashed around the room in a multitude of colours and sirens wailed, like a child crying for their mother. Any possible doors that led into the corridor clamped shut and shutters rattled their way down, locking when they reached the ground.

"Michael?" Nikita asked, observing the scenario, unlike Michael who was fixated on boring his eyes into Alissa until she felt uneasily uncomfortable.

He sighed and shouted impatiently, "What is it?"

"Erm, nothing," Nikita lied surprisingly easily, rubbing her forehead with her middle finger. "It's just… Where did you leave Alex?"

Michael flashed a passing glance towards Nikita's direction and regarded the situation. He stood up when he caught sight of the thick slabs of metal covering the doors, "I left her in the foyer to keep an eye on the door…"

He took in a deep breath, his nostrils flaring and his eyes narrowed, his face was a picture of bitterness. He compressed his foot against Alissa's rapidly moving chest and dug the toe of his boots into her ribs, causing her to gasp for the tiny amount of breath her lung capacity could hold, "It was one thing shooting my friend… But I swear down, if anything happens to Alex I'll make _sure_ you die a painful death and then rot in hell. Do you hear me?"

Alissa laughed elatedly and spoke in short, raspy breaths, fluttering her eyelashes at Michael, "Wow, you're hot when you're mad. Anyone ever told you that?"

Michael turned his body away from Alissa before he could do something that he would regret for the rest of his life. He shoved the gun Nikita tossed him straight into his jeans and concentrated on her word's instead of the manipulative words that were coming from the bitch, who was lying on the ground without any attempt to fight back, "I'll stay here with that. You go see if you can find Alex and make sure she's okay," Nikita nudged Alissa's head with her foot.

"Sure."

Michael spat on the ground by the side of Alissa and glared at her once more before leaving her behind to attend to the shutters, which he tried to pry open with his fingers.

"Don't even bother," Alissa laughed. "They aren't gonna open."

"She's right."

* * *

Alex banged against the walls of the foyer but no one heard her weak attempts of communication with the outside world. She was captured. Every single exit was shut and she was left alone locked inside of a box full of walls and no windows.

Trudging over to the shutters, she slid her fingers underneath them searching for a catch, but to no avail.

Underneath the next shutter she found the same. She scrutinized the bottom but all she could see was a smooth surface with no exterior interruptions. And four pairs of boots facing towards her.

_Oh, you bastards!_ Alex thought, as she frantically looked around the bare room for somewhere to hide. There was absolutely nothing to conceal herself in. She glanced up at the ceiling, a rusty pipe? Too dangerous.

On cue the Division agents stampeded into the room, storming the square perimeter with bullets but Alex was nowhere to be seen, and instead they shot into nothingness.

Alex stuck her tongue out in concentration and let go with one, white-fisted hand, tucking her baggy sweatshirt into the back of her trousers. She swung with her other arm and propelled herself back up so she was able to grip the unstable pipe with both hands. Her soft curls dangled, stopping directly above the head of one of Percy's clones and the strands brushed across her lightly freckled nose and irritated her skin. Alex blew silently but the gentle wind that escaped from her mouth wasn't enough to break the stubbornness of her hair. She flicked her head back hoping that the motion would be enough to cause the piece of hair to fall but instead she jolted her body and the gun in her back pocket started to make its way towards the edge of the pocket lining. It tipped forwards and backwards, deciding whether or not it should fall whilst it teetered on the edge and Alex gasped and her eyes widened as the gun slipped out of her pocket and took the plunge towards the floor where her certain death would await her.

In a brief moment of a miracle she caught the gun by its hoop with two fingers but the thin layer of sweat covering her clammy hands like a sheet of cellophane from the hot pipe, made the gun slide straight from her fingers and she lost her grip.

* * *

Nikita snarled in disgust, the corners of her mouth turned down at the sight of Alissa and her nose wrinkled, "You had better tell us what we need to know otherwise I'll make your death worth its while. Michael get over here."

Alissa licked her lips as Michael approached but he made no attempt to make eye contact with her, "I thought you would have guessed by now but I guess that's what you get for having hottie over there as a trainer. Pain doesn't bother me in fact I would go as far as saying that I actually enjoy it so go ahead and do whatever you want, I'll be watching."

Michael narrowed his eyes in concentration and he whipped out his gun and a single bullet ripped through Alissa's shoulder, but it was enough to make her scream in pain. She grabbed her shoulder and hot tears streamed down her face. Nikita gasped, she was used to death and pain but Michael had caught her off guard.

"Well," he said, making it so his voice had no expression. "If that's right, you should have absolutely loved that."

"What do you want to know," she asked, wiping her tears away with one hand, and clamping down on her shoulder with the other.

"Is there another way to get out of here?" Michael replied, his eyes were as blank as a sheet of paper and the tone in his voice reminded him of how Amanda always used to speak to him whenever he entered the room.

"They have cards that swipe the doors. They won't open automatically or by force. The only way they will open without a card is in a sequence. Once they are in the area where Alex is now, the rest of the doors will open."

"Come on!" Michael shouted. "How tough can they be? They're hospital doors for god sakes!"

Alissa groaned and tried to move but her shoulder was too messed up for her to use her arms to push herself up and escape from where she was being held hostage, by two relentless ex-assassins.

A set of doors a few corridors down hissed open and the noise echoed into the room.

Alissa sighed and rested her head against the floor, the coolness of which blunted her excruciating headache, "Oh, look at that. Guess they have Alex. What a shame."

Then consecutively the rest of the doors opened one by one and and the shutters rose up to reveal an already abandoned hospital. Michael took one last disgusted look at Alissa, his eyes lingering on the bullet he had put in her and then ran out of the door quietly, sidestepping, his back against the wall as not to draw attention to himself.

* * *

The gun took the plunge and clattered at the floor of the agent's feet. Alex squeezed her eyes shut and prayed they didn't look up and shoot the hell out of her.

All guns cocked into position including the agent's and he looked cautiously around the room, inspecting every single aspect of the room's angular dimensions.

One of the reasons he had brought his team to infiltrate the area first was because they was nowhere for anyone to hide. Understanding filled his mind and he slowly looked up towards the ceiling and swallowed the fear that was caught in the back of his dry throat. The ceiling was masked in an eerie darkness, the usual natural light that flooded through the windows was blocked by the shutters and the light on the ceiling flickered as it oscillated, casting suspicious and unknown shadows onto the walls.

The light failed and Alex breathed out a quiet sigh of relief. Moments later the faulty light flickered back on for less than a second and a terrified face stared back down at the guard, her eyes blinking rapidly.

"Listen up! Aim and shoot only when the lights come back on for more than three seconds. Am I understood?" The agent was as equally alarmed as Alex and he flicked the sweat from his brow before signally with his hand up to the ceiling.

Faint flickers emitted from the bulb which gained strength after each flash of brief light that was originating from the orb of glass hanging from the partially shredded wire.

The lights flashed and the room filled a brilliant white.

The sound of gunshots screeched but they did not come from Division's people, because behind them stood a determined Michael. With an automated gun.

The room turned into a frenzy and four people turned against one. Bullets soared through the sky and Michael backed up against the wall, into the shadows, but not before a bullet skimmed past him, burning through his jacket and grazing the top layer of his skin.

He had darkness on his side and took them down one by one, knocking them to the ground like bottles off a wall.

"Alex?" Michael shouted, desperately looking the woman he loved.

She dropped down from the ceiling gracefully and almost knocked him over as she jumped into his awaiting arms, he spun her around and embraced her in a hug. She kissed him quickly and he stroked her face and whispered softly, "Are you okay?

"Uh huh."

"Good," he smiled and took her by the hand, running back down where he knew Nikita would be waiting for them.

* * *

They stopped suddenly outside of the hospital room doors and Michael looked down at Alissa, who was handcuffed to the door, with a bemused look written across his face.

"Hi," Alissa said cheerily, waving at Alex with her free hand.

"Shut up bitch," Alex snarled and Alissa looked away, annoyed at being shot down by someone younger than her, and not half as pretty.

"Ah, Nikita," Michael grinned as he stepped over Alissa to reach his friend. "Getting over excited with the handcuffs again are we?"

Alex shot a look that could have killed a bird straight from the sky at Michael but Nikita laughed. She knew exactly what he meant, although it wasn't as fun as it sounded. She reminisced back to the time that Michael had caught her tying Birkhoff to his computer so he couldn't send out important information that would help Division's latest mission.

Alex interrupted their little moment, "Guys."

She put her dainty, filthy hand to her quivering mouth and tears filled her eyes as she watched Owen's breathing slowly get shallower.

His skin had returned to a relatively normal colour but the veins in his wrists and arms had started to stain black, running further up him with every pump of his blood as it carried the poison to his heart.

"Oh," Michael whispered. They had been so caught up in their own problems that they had completely forgotten that it was Owen who needed their help in the first place.

Nikita marched over to where Alissa was half hanging from her wrist and half slouching. She bent down to her low level and spoke clearly, "Well hello there. What shit did you _put_ in him?" She raised her eyebrows, waiting for an answer.

Alissa slung her free hand out to strike Nikita, she tried and failed. Nikita grasped Alissa's hand in hers and crushed it until she heard every single finger crack, with each break Nikita pressed down harder until her hand was left unrecognisable.

Alissa let out a scream so loud it could have shattered the glass in the room and Alex bit down on her lip, wincing at Alissa's face, which was morphed with pain. Even Michael flinched underneath his composed exterior.

Alissa glanced over to bedside table where she had kicked the remains of the smashed bottle. Michael walked over and picked up the biggest piece of glass he could find, and the label, which had scratched off previously. He shrugged and handed the contents to Nikita, who inspected the glass then wiped her finger along the jagged surface and licked the remnants of the clear liquid.

Michael covered his face in embarrassment and said through his spread fingers, "God! Don't do that! You don't know what the hell that is."

"Yes I do," Nikita declared and she threw the bottle into the bin.

She grabbed Alissa by the hair and hissed, "Now you listen to me. If that's what I think it is, then you had better goddam hope that I can find the antidote."

"What is it?" Alex asked, making herself heard for the first time since Nikita had ruined Alissa's hand.

Nikita said, "No time for questions. Look in those cupboards and find me a syringe, hydrogen dioxide and erm, the blue and the red liquids okay?"

"The what?"

Both Michael and Nikita answered simultaneously, "The water."

Alex swung open the doors, "Wow. Which blue and red liquids would you like?... 'Cos there are tons of them."

The cupboard was full to the brim with at least six dozen bottles of coloured medicine, over half of them being red or blue. Nikita reached over and picked out two bottles, "These."

Alex handed her over the water and the syringe, "Here you go."

"Thanks," Nikita replied, without looking up.

* * *

She mixed the two ominous potions together with the water and withdrew them into the syringe. She stabbed the needle as far down into Owen's arm as she could without reaching bone before injecting the mixture into him, and then pulling the syringe out again.

"Give that a few minutes to work and he should wake up again," Nikita said hopefully, she desperately wanted to believe the words she was saying, but she just wasn't able to.

She stood there in silence and after the seconds ticked by and the minutes passed, it seemed like Nikita was right to be cynical.

"Just give it time," she said to herself.

Michael looked away from the spot on the wall he had been focusing on and said carefully, "Nikita maybe it's…"

"No," Nikita whispered, shaking her head in disagreement. "No, Michael. It's not too late. You have Alex and I have… who do I have? I have no one. So it's not fair, it's not fair for it to be over and for once in my life something has to go right, okay? Something has to work for me so either shut up or get out!"

Michael retreated back to his spot and spent a lot of the following minutes looking at his shoes, which shuffled awkwardly on the ground.

Underneath the hurt in his expression Nikita noticed Owen's eye's move beneath his closed eyelids. She is so fixated on that smallest glimmer of hope that she doesn't see Alissa pick the lock on her handcuffs with a syringe, which was balanced precociously in her mouth.

The handcuffs clicks open and the noise is enough to make Nikita spin around and retrieve her gun from her pocket. Behind her Owen's eyes flickered open and he gasped for air, pulling at Alex's arm who just so happened to be stood next to him.

He shook his head at Nikita who had taken her attention and herself away from Alissa and aimed it at Owen.

"_What?_" Nikita shouted at Owen, in shock partly from his recovery and partly from the fact that he had told her not to shoot Alissa.

Owen whispered in a croaky voice, "Just let her go."

"What do you mean let her go?" Nikita's voice had risen to a scream. "She tried to kill you and she's crazy!"

Owen rested his hand on Nikita's and whispered, "Let her go… let it all go."

Nikita watched with regret as Alissa hesitantly got up, clutching her throbbing hand which had turned an odd shade of purple. She limped towards the door and looked at them. She didn't say thank you but Nikita could see it in her eyes.

"You're welcome," Nikita reluctantly accepted her apology.

Alissa took one last look before running down the corridors and disappearing into the darkness of the early morning.

* * *

A hot flush engulfed Nikita's face and turned her cheeks a rosy pink "Can you er, give us a minute please?"

"Sure," Alex smiled knowingly and she dragged a confounded Michael out of the room, winking as she left.

Nikita's heart raced as she sat down onto the bed next to Owen who had a grin so wide it consumed the lower half of his handsome, beaten face.

"Hi babe," he said, mustering up as much spark as he could bare to fake through the agony his body was in.

Nikita giggled, her heart flooded with bliss and she flicked Owen on his arm in a playful manner, he breathed in sharply, "Sorry," she apologised and looked down at the ground, mortified.

"It's okay, honestly," Owen laughed and ran his hand down her back which was tense with anticipation. "I'm really glad I didn't die though because you look _so_ sexy right now."

Nikita's dilated pupils widened and the corners of her petite mouth turned up. She glanced at Owen, in disbelief at how quickly he could pretend nothing happened and go back to the way it was before. Only Nikita didn't want to go back there, stuck flirting, she wanted to be able to say Owen was hers and that she was his.

"Now is not the time to be joking Owen! But… I'm glad you didn't die either."

She tipped her head forwards so that her hair fell at either side of her face, partitioning her focus so Owen was the only thing she could distinguish. Descending, she placed her lips over his and simply held them there. Owen didn't utter a word or protest, instead he revelled in the simplicity of the kiss. It wasn't until Nikita pulled away that he remembered where he was again, she frowned, "I think I like you."

"Well that's a start," Owen whispered and he pulled Nikita's body back to his, grasping her back and kissing her face sweetly.

Nikita parted her lips and said, "We can't do it like this."

She swung her legs back around to the side of the bed, tiptoed to the door, locked it and returned to lie back down where she had left off.

Biting her lip she smiled, "That's better."

He inched closer to her warmth, shuffling so that their bodies fit together perfectly like a jigsaw, touching at the edges.

Owen moved a piece of unkempt hair from Nikita's faced and examined her grimy face, her blood- covered clothes and the raw skin on her arms that had been gouged out by Alissa's long fingernails, "You are beautiful Nikita."

Owen's powerful yet captivating words struck Nikita and moved her in a profound way that took away her ability to speak.

He laughed and smirked, the left side of his smile rising higher than the other, "Don't worry, this bit doesn't require you to speak if you don't want to."

Embracing her thin frame he shifted himself so that half of his weight was on top of her, they gazed into each other's eyes, reading every emotion that flickered past them. Both uncertain of the consequences that would follow, but both sure beyond a doubt that it was what they wanted.

He kissed her again and she sank into the bed, her toes curling with satisfaction. What Nikita was doing felt right, there was no pressure. Owen wasn't being a flirt, he made her feel special and she was happy so she let herself go.

She returned the kiss, wanting to give it her everything but Owen was hurt so she forced herself to hold back just a little.

She linked her arms round the back of his wide neck and he moved his strong hands to her stomach. She reached for his belt buckle, fumbling at the hook she pulled his trousers down past his legs. He lifted the edges of her top up, revealing her flat, tanned stomach and moved down and kissed her warm skin, smiling as he did so. He lifted her top up more and worked his way back up, kissing her more deeply every time his lips touched her.

The silence outside of the room was awkward and both Michael and Alex stood there quietly, very aware at what was happening on the other side of the doors.

Unbeknown to each other, they both desperately needed the same thing, however not a single word was spoken on the subject in fear that the other was too fragile.

Michael broke the silence, "Do you think we can go back in there now?"

Elongating her pronunciation on the _o_ Alex gleamed, "No."

Michael smacked his lips and turned to smile at Alex, who was already smiling back at him.

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**Author's Note**

Well, I hope you enjoyed the lurvley ending to this chapter ;)… Because the next few chapters are about to get manic! The next chapter is called Crossing That Thin Blue Line, so some smart people should be able to work that one out (for those who do, please don't spoil it for the rest of them lol. So that means you too Saphy). As always please keep on reading and reviewing because your kind comments mean the world to me :).


	19. Crossing That Thin Blue Line

**I don't own Nikita or any of its characters etc.**

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__Hey, I hope you enjoyed the last chapter. Well here we go… You're about to find out exactly what the title of the chapter means ;). And you better get ready because the next few chapters are filled with drama, romance, grief and the return of Kasim. But what does he want? Thank you so much for all of your lovely reviews lol :). Enjoy this chapter! Read and review please because I love it when you do._

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Nikita slumped down on the heated floor of her villa bathroom. The scorching heat from the blistering sun penetrated through the windows and where the stream of light was cast, millions of specks of dust danced around like fireflies.

The wooden door had been locked and she ran her shaking hands through her hair, wincing when her fingers tangled around the parts her salty tears had knotted. Blood pounded in her ears and eventually the constant rhythm gave way to Michael hammering on the door.

"Nikita! Hurry up, other people need to use the bathroom as well, you know."

She blocked out the sounds of her surroundings, shoving her fingers into her ears and the reply intended for Michael was silent.

"Alex?" Michael called, banging his head against the door impatiently. "Would you come here for a minute? It's Nikita."

The sound of Alex's footsteps echoed underneath the door and she passed her drink to Michael before knocking softly, "Nikita? Is everything okay?"

Nikita swallowed her tears and the motions of her head shaking from side to side made her feel like she had vertigo. The sweet sound of the blue- birds tweeting to one another made the tears flow faster and she balled up her fists, turning her knuckles white and swallowed the lump that had formed in the back of her throat.

_Nothing._

Michael sighed and banged his heavy fist against the door three times before turning to Alex, "Is she almost done?"

"I don't know. Nikita? Are you in there?" Alex shook the handle of the door violently, and from behind the concealment of the four walls Nikita shuffled up and shoved what she was holding into the dark depths of her jumper pocket.

She wiped her tears away roughly and swung the door open to an awaiting Alex and plastered a fake smile across her streaky face, "Yeah sorry I took so long, I was doing my makeup."

"Oh," Alex said. "Well no offence but you look kind of awful. Anyway it doesn't matter now. I think Michael went somewhere else."

* * *

Nikita curled herself up in a tight ball and rocked back and forth in the armchair that sat in the very far corner of the room, she chewed on the nubs of her fingernails and tried exceedingly hard to gulp back the tears that had been pushing against her sleepy eyelids since she had flopped down. She subconsciously moved her hand so it hovered over her pocket, checking if no one had stolen her secret.

Owen parked himself on the arm chair rest but when he moved in for a kiss, Nikita tensed up and turned her body so it was facing in a completely different direction.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

"Nothing," Nikita muttered under her breath. "I just want to be left alone, okay? Please?"

Owen grasped her bare arm and pressed his fingers into her supple skin which dinted under the pressure, "No, wait a minute. You can't just shove me away after what we _did_ last night. You having regrets?"

"Owen. What I did was you and no, I'm not having regrets but we're not children you can actually _say_ it you know," Nikita lied through her teeth for the most part and for everything she did that she had to explain, she grew evermore agitated.

Owen laughed "Then what's wrong? Wasn't I good enough for the famous Nikita?"

She turned to him and snapped, "What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying I'm _easy?_"

"No! Not at all, I was just wondering why you're acting all frosty."

"Well _maybe_ I'm not acting all warm and fuzzy towards you because I want to be left alone!"

Owen tugged at her hand but she rejected his meagre attempt at comforting her, "Nikita, babe, please tell me what's wrong."

Nikita stood up and towered over Owen threateningly and taking a breath she shouted into his ear, "Owen! Leave. Me. Alone! Got it? And don't call me babe." She stormed out of the room in a blaze and shoved her hands into her pockets, leaving Owen sat deserted in complete and utter shock.

Alex released Michael from her playful grasp and sighed, "I'll go talk to her."

"No don't," Michael said. "I'll go. I think I know what's wrong with her."

"You do?"

Michael nodded brusquely and marched out of the door to search out Nikita, picking up his pace once he was out of view.

* * *

"Nikita?"

Nikita was leaning against the full length mirror in her private room, admiring the people who walked along the sea front, frolicking under the summer sun. Their lives were so much more pleasant compared to hers, they could do what they want, love who they want, take days off… and what she envied the most, they would never have to worry about being marked for death by sadistic terrorists who worked for a secret branch of the government who wanted everyone who had a chance of happiness to suffer profusely.

Nikita rested her head against the cool relief of the reflective surface that was hidden in the shadows of the room behind her and growled, "What do you want Michael?"

"To help?" He had offered his help a thousand times before, but time after time she had shot him down, so what made this time any different he hadn't a clue.

"Oh," Nikita scoffed. "How could you possibly know anything about what I'm thinking right now? Oh wait, that's right. You_ can't._"

"I could try?" His words read different to his body language and Michael raised his eyebrow and gestured with his arms in an _I don't know_ fashion.

"No."

Michael exhaled and went to stand over to where Nikita was and looked out at the same view she was enjoying, "Wow. Beautiful weather we're having."

"That," Nikita laughed, punching Michael in the same shoulder she had shot when they met in the dark alleyway months back. "Is an awful conversation starter."

Michael chuckled, "Well if you spoke to me every now and then I wouldn't have to use ridiculous small talk."

"I'm good thanks," Nikita re-entered her vague world of imagination and smiled sadly as a family that consisted of three triplets fought over a single cone of ice-cream on the walkway underneath her.

"Is it because you didn't get to kill Alissa?" His guess was way off and snapped Nikita back to reality.

"No."

"Are you home sick?"

"That's a stupid question. You know we don't have proper homes."

Michael hesitated. He folded his toned arms and turned to look at Nikita who was looking out of the window, purposefully avoiding him, "Is it something to do with what you and Owen…"

"No!" Nikita screamed and her tears came closer to spilling. "I told you you didn't have a clue! If you're going to hassle me with your boring conversation you might as well get it right."

"Okay. I'm sorry I brought it up," Michael apologised but a smile crept onto his lips. "It's clearly a touchy subject."

"Michael… If you mention one more thing I will take out my gun and _shoot_ you."

He exhaled and held her head in the crook of his neck, she missed his touch. She hadn't felt his friendly warmth in years. Hell, the only time they had ever had contact was when they were trying to kill each other.

Michael smiled and stroked her head, unsure of what to say or do to comfort his companion, "I'm your friend Nikita, you can trust me with whatever you have on your mind."

Nikita nodded her head in agreement and said bitterly, "Good to know. I'll keep that in mind for when it's any of your business."

As Nikita exited the room, minus Michael, Alex grabbed onto her arm and said, "Nikita? What's wrong?"

Nikita laughed, "Nothing's wrong, why would you think something was wrong?"

"Well," Alex started. "You were in the bathroom for ages this morning and when you finally came out you looked like you had been crying. You're being kind of a bitch to Owen when he did nothing wrong and I heard you _screaming_ at Michael from out here. He was just trying to help so why did you have to be horrible to him? It doesn't really look good from where everyone else is standing, in fact it kind of seems like you don't want anything else to do with us anymore."

Nikita gulped and stuttered out her reply, "That's not true. You know I love you all."

"Then tell me what's wrong!" Alex pleaded.

Nikita smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. I'll do something about it, then it will all be over and the rest of you won't have to be worried about it anymore. But for now, just respect that I don't want to discuss it with you, or anyone else."

"Whatever you say," Alex muttered as she trudged away to go and find Michael.

Nikita was about to call after her but she decided against it, it would only make things worse than they already were.

* * *

The secret festered inside of her like a virus and eventually it grew too much of a burden for her to carry around anymore and she realised that if she didn't want to lose Owen forever, she had to tell him what she knew.

Nikita scraped her heavy feet against the warmed floors as she trudged towards Owen's bedroom where he was bound to be. He sat on his bed complacently, flicking through the daily Spanish newspaper although Nikita knew for a fact that the only languages he could speak where English and the occasional phrase of French. She watched him, perplexed at the archive of foreign words transcribed onto the whisps of translucent paper. He attempted at pronouncing _revelación _but failed and Nikita let out a soft hint of laughter.

When his eyes caught sight of Nikita he sighed deeply and folded his newspaper down the middle, running his fingers along the fine edge, "Nikita." The pain in his voice was evident but he tried his best to hide it with a smile.

Unlike Owen's voice, Nikita's remained unaltered, "We need to talk."

"Yeah sure," Owen said and he threw the mess from his cluttered bed and patted down. "Just sit here."

She stayed where she was, rooted to the spot. She bit down on her lips and her eyes closed as she fought away the tears and turned her face away in shame.

Owen sprung out of bed and breezed over to Nikita. With a look of concern devouring his blue eyes, he lifted up her narrowed chin and watched for any hints in the depths of her intricate, intriguing eyes.

"Hey, hey. Don't cry," Owen traced the outline of her face with the back of his hand and she sniffed, breathing back in the tears that had dribbled down to the end of her nose.

Her eyes flickered around the details of his mouth and she opened her own, "I really have to tell you something Owen, and I don't know if you're going to like it."

"Hit me."

Nikita started to shake and she clamped down on one hand with the other as she desperately tried to avoid his gaze, but his silence demanded it.

She dug her nails into the skin of her hands until the redness hidden underneath became visible. She whispered, "I'm… I'm…"

"Yeah?" Owen asked, never steering his line of vision towards anything that wasn't Nikita.

"I'm so, so sorry Owen."

Her bottom lip quivered and he laughed nervously, "What for? You haven't done anything wrong. I mean… you haven't have you?"

Nikita didn't deny Owen's question because what she had done, in her eyes, was unthinkable, "I'm sorry for… I don't know how to say this, god! I can't believe how much of a coward I am!"

Owen trailed his hand down her arm and discontinued when he reached her hand, he gripped it, furrowed his expressive eyebrows and added, "Just take your time and then when you're ready you can tell me what you want to say."

Nikita thoughts sped through her head, bumping against the sides of her brain in a panicked frenzy. Should she tell him? Shouldn't she? Would he stop caring for her if he knew the truth? Damn, he would probably hate her for it.

Nikita came to decide that lying was the best option, _anything_ was better than the truth.

Before she could change her mind, the words blurted out of her mouth in a hurry to escape, "I'm sorry for… leading you on Owen. I really am, it's just… it's just I had so many emotions rushing through me and I guess I mixed them up, I mean come on! You were dying for god's sake and I didn't know how to handle that. But I _shouldn't _have slept with you, it wasn't okay. And I think that deep down, somewhere, you know that I'm right."

Owen flinched and the muscles in his face tensed, "What are you saying?"

The words that Nikita spoke next were barely audible, in all probability, because she was afraid to hear them herself, "I don't love you Owen."

Owen advanced forwards and Nikita let out a small whimper, afraid of what he would do next. His breathing was shaky and every bone in his body ached with despondency but he pulled Nikita into his warmth and embraced her, stroking the back of her neck tenderly. Her cries fled from her soul and as they left, the happiness poured from her heart and followed them as they flew out of the window. Owen withdrew and held onto her shoulders and kissed her on the head sweetly, wiping away the tears with his thumb.

"Bye Nikita," was the only thing he had left to say to her, she had let him fall for her and she had broken his heart.

Owen wandered out of the room, his head down as he went and he left Nikita alone, the opposite to what had happened earlier, when _she_ had left Owen by himself.

She let her arms fall by her sides and began to cry uncontrollably, the agony of their confrontation tearing her apart inside. She fluttered her eyes shut, constricting her vision to a blur and fumbled around in her pocket for what she had been guarding all day. Nikita found what she was looking for and prayed it had changed. But it hadn't, the line was still blue. And she was still pregnant.

**

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****Author's Note**

DUN DUN DUN lol!... I know they're hasn't been much MALEX lately but I promise you there will be soon I just had to focus on Nikita and Owen for a bit to get to the storyline I wanted. I really hope you liked it! Read and review please :). And OMG can I just say that it's only 8 days until Nikita starts again! The screenshots for the episodes on the Nikita website look amazing.


	20. I Do

**I don't own Nikita or any of its characters etc.**

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__Yay! It's my 15th birthday… Where have the years gone? :). Hope you enjoyed the last chapter! What will Nikita do? Is it just me or does anyone else think Nathan is a complete a douche bag? I mean come on, 'he's just my co-worker'. I don't think so Alex, you are meant to be with Michael. Anyway sorry for my ramble. There is Malex in this chapter finally. Enjoy the chapter and please read and review because I always love to hear what you have to say._

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****3 years later.**

"Mommy!" the young child ran across the crowded, lush gardens into her mother's awaiting arms.

"Alice, did you say hello to Auntie Alex?" Nikita asked as she swung her daughter around, making her dark brown hair sway in the summer wind. Alice laughed delightedly and looked at Nikita with her large brown eyes that resembled the bush-baby they had seen when they visited the zoo last week.

"Yep!" Alice nodded excessively, which made her dizzy and she giggled as the grass underneath her swirled around Nikita's legs. "But why is she wearing a nightie?"

Nikita laughed at the innocent yet naïve words that came from the toddler's mouth, "Silly Alice, that's not a nightie. It's a special dress that ladies wear when they're getting married to someone."

"Oh," Alice smiled and the faint freckles that marched across the bridge of her nose were exaggerated by the sun's glow. "Is Auntie Alex going to marry daddy?"

"No darling," Nikita tucked a loose strand of sticky hair behind Alice's ear. "Auntie Alex is marrying Uncle Michael."

"Oh, but I wanted Auntie Alex to marry daddy? Who's gonna marry daddy then?"

Her question caught Nikita off guard, "I don't know sweetheart."

Alice wrinkled her small forehead and pouted her lips which were covered in strawberry ice-cream. She stuck her tongue out and then replied, "That's silly. _Someone_ needs to marry daddy!"

"Alice, please. Don't act silly. I'm sure your daddy will marry someone when he finds someone he loves, okay."

Alice's lively eyes filled with sorrow and she poked her mum in the cheek softly, "Why don't _you_ marry daddy? You said you would love him forever and ever. You promised you would never let him go."

Alice hadn't learnt how to pronounce her r's and so promised sounded more like _pwomise_, which made Nikita's heart break in two.

"Ally, I know this is hard for you to understand but maybe you will when you're older, but mummy and daddy will always love each other because we have one very special thing in common."

"What is it?" Alice asked, her eyes danced in excitement and her mouth opened, mimicking Nikita's, in anticipation for an answer.

"You promise not to tell anyone?" Nikita pretended.

Alice bought it and nodded her little head eagerly.

"Well," Nikita laughed. "Okay then, but it's a very big secret so you have to keep it to yourself."

"Not even Mr Snuggles can know?" The aspect of a secret that was not to be shared was too much for Alice's young self to grasp.

"No, not even Mr Snuggles. The very special thing we have in common is you." Nikita tapped her nose playfully.

"Really?" Alice gasped, covering her mouth with her tiny hand.

"Yeah," Nikita replied. "Really?"

Alice frowned, "Then you should marry him then."

"Darling, there are lots of types of love and…"

"Daddy!" Alice squealed and she dropped from Nikita's arms and flung herself into Owen's.

"Hi baby girl. How are you today?" Owen smiled. "Hi, Nikki."

Nikita smiled tightly before turning away from her daughter and her daughter's father to down to glass of champagne a handsome young waiter had offered her.

"I'm fine," Alice replied. "But I gotta tell you something."

She cupped her hands around Owen's ear and whispered.

"Oh, really! Well, personally I would love to marry mommy, but I don't think she likes me very much."

Nikita spun around and spoke lowly, "Don't you dare make me look like the bad guy in this Owen."

Before he could retaliate with a sharp insult the ringing of a knife tapping against a glass echoed through the garden. Michael stood at the temporary alter and shouted to his guests, "Okay, listen up! Alex will be here any minute now, so can we please all get seated and get ready for the ceremony. Thanks."

"That's my cue," Owen said, relieved to be able to escape from Nikita's acid tongue and he ran down the aisle and took his place as best man at Michael's side, leaving Nikita stood alone for the second significant time in their relationship.

"And ours," Nikita said to Alice who had decided to pick out the mud from underneath her fingernails, she held her daughter's hand as the two people who could be the most like each other on the planet, walked to their positions.

* * *

The wedding music rang out through the speakers and all the guests turned their attention to Alex who stood gracefully at the end of the purple cloth laid on the vibrant grass. Her dress fell to the floor and the silk material accentuated every curve on her body and the diamond encrusted bodice hugged her tightly, the lace pattern only showing some of her bronzed skin through. The veil masked her face, which was a shame as no one could she how truly happy she was. Nikita stood by her side, they were linked by arms and ahead of them stood Alice, patiently waiting to throw her petals.

They started the procession down the aisle to an awaiting Michael, who was beaming with pride at his beautiful wife-to-be. When the time came, Alex was released and set free to stand opposite to her fiancé, their hands brushing as she stepped up onto the platform.

Nikita took Alice back to their seats and the minister's voice spoke loudly but gently, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the joining of Michael Hill and Alexandra Taylor. Two special people who will share their new found lives together and ultimately become one."

Michael lifted up the veil, revealing Alex's stunning face. The sight of her gave him butterflies and he took a step back to take in all of her beauty.

"Michael," Alex whispered.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Are you alright? Because if you're having second thoughts, we can reschedule it."

"No it's not that," Alex laughed quietly and she uncurled her fingers and showed Michael what lay in her palm. To anyone else it would have looked like a dead mess but to them it meant everything. She unfolded the brown-ish petals and delicately laid out the daisy-chain ring Michael had proposed to her with. "I just thought you should know, I kept it all this time."

Michael grinned and grasped Alex's hand, with their memory safely set in-between.

"Can we have the rings please?"

Owen handed over the boxes to the minister who took out the first ring. He gave it to Michael and said, "Michael Jonathon Hill. Do you take Alexandra Elizabeth Taylor to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to care for her through sickness and through health, through the good times and the bad, until death do you part?"

"I do."

"Good, then please put this ring onto Alexandra's finger as a symbol of your love."

Michael slotted the platinum ring onto Alex's finger, in the middle of which sat an 18- carat diamond, "I upgraded that scraggy old thing for this. I hope you don't mind."

"No, it's beautiful. Thank you."

"And do you, Alexandra Elizabeth Taylor take Michael Jonathon Hill to be your lawfully wedded husband?" The minister asked, even though everyone at the whole wedding knew her answer. She had been waiting for this day ever since she had fallen in love with Michael.

"I do!" She shouted out before he could even finish what he was saying.

Everyone laughed as she hurriedly shoved the ring onto Michael's finger, "Now marry us already!"

"Well, by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride!"

Michael grabbed Alex and tipped her back and Owen fired up a bottle of champagne, spraying the two lovers, but even the ice cold jet-spray of alcohol could not distract them from their passionate kiss.

"That's enough already!" Nathan yelled from the back row of seats and Michael flicked him the v's.

* * *

"Excuse me, I'm looking for a Nikita? Have you seen her anywhere?"

"Um," Owen hesitated as he looked the foreigner up and down. He was tall, dark and handsome. Everything Owen loathed in a man. "Who are you?"

"Oh just an old friend," the man replied vaguely, tipping his hat further down his face so it cast his menacing eyes in a shadow. "You see, we have some unfinished business to complete."

"Well," Owen smirked. "In that case she's past the tables at the far end of the garden. The one with the little girl, about yay high."

"Thank you, kind man."

"No problem… I'm the child's father by the way!" Owen watched the man saunter in and out of the tables, dodging chairs until he reached an unexpecting Nikita.

"Hello there. Is this your daughter? She's so pretty, and she looks so much like her father. It must be shame that he's moved on now though." The stranger tilted his hat so his gaze met Nikita's. His harrowing voice shook her to the core and she whispered to Alice, "Honey, go take Mr Snuggles and play with daddy while I talk to this nice man."

Alice looked up at the stranger with wide eyes and asked, "Are _you_ going to marry mommy?"

The man ignored the brat attached to his leg and stated blankly, "I think that's probably a good idea. She doesn't need to see what's about to happen, it wasn't her fault she was born."

Nikita hurried Alice along, who looked back longingly, and she snapped, "What the hell do you want Kasim?"

* * *

"Daddy! Daddy!" Alice cried out as she threw herself to the ground and clung to his ankles.

"What is it my little Ally Bear?" Owen asked, concerned.

Alice pointed in the direction of Nikita, "Mommy's going to marry that man but I don't want her too! She _has_ to marry you!"

"What man, darling?"

"The one that said I couldn't watch something and that it was my fault I was born… I think that's what he said."

Owen frowned and unlatched Alice from his legs, "I need you to tell me exactly what you heard."

"I don't know!" Alice wailed.

"Okay," Owen replied softly. "Don't worry about it. You just go back and play with Auntie Alex and Uncle Michael and I'll be back in a minute."

* * *

"I thought we had a deal, bitch?" Kasim growled.

"And?" Nikita hissed back. "What made you think I would keep it?"

"The only reason I didn't kill you there and then was because of the child," Kasim moved himself so close that Nikita could smell his skin and feel his warm heavy breaths on hers.

"That's what I get for being so nice? A broken promise and a kick in the ass from Percy?" Kasim nudged his head against Nikita's and she whimpered.

"Get away from me," Nikita said under her breath, but her request was ignored by Kasim.

"That doesn't seem like a fair deal, does it Nikita?" He kissed her roughly on the side of her face and she shoved him away. Hard.

"I don't know why you're complaining anyway," Nikita muttered. "Percy's dead."

"And I thank you for that. You did me a favour without even realising it. Now I can do whatever the hell I like, and that includes what to do with you."

"I told you that I would come back and sacrifice my life to you when Alice was three. She still has a few months left before her birthday." There was a hint of desperation as Nikita pleaded with Kasim.

"Ah, but you see. I'm a very impatient man and the clock is ticking. I don't know whether or not I can wait until it strikes," Kasim chuckled and he tipped Nikita's chair with his foot, threatening to push it over.

"I will come to you, _when_ I am ready. And you leave Alice and her father out of it or I swear to God I'll take you down, right here, right now."

"Ah yes, the father. How is Michael by the way?" Kasim asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Michael, the father of your bastard child. I asked you how he was, it's been a long time since I've seen him," Kasim grinned evilly but Nikita looked confused.

"Michael is not Alice's father."

"Is he not?"

"God no!" Nikita retorted, looking horrified.

"Well then," Kasim questioned. "Who is?"

"Nikita!" Owen ran up to her and placed his hands on her shoulders, and for once she didn't pull away.

Kasim looked intrigued, "Never mind. I think I have my answer."

Owen bent down so his mouth was touching the edge of Nikita's ear and he whispered, "Are you okay? Alice seemed concerned."

"I'm fine, maybe you should just go back with Alice," Nikita whispered in reply.

"Yes," Kasim laughed. "Go back to your child, Nikita needs to come with me. Her time is up."

"What do you want with her?"

Nikita mouthed the name _Kasim_ to Owen and that told him everything he needed to know.

"You son of a bitch!" He screamed and lunged towards Kasim, who returned his attack with a kick in the ribs. Owen fell to the ground spluttering, but Nikita didn't help him up like she used to whenever he was hurt.

* * *

She got up from her seat and looked at Owen, "Tell Alice I love her. Tell her that I'm sorry I had to leave without saying goodbye but that she means more to me than anything in the world."

"Nikita, don't," Owen interrupted but Nikita carried on anyway.

"Tell Alex that I'm sorry that I have to leave her now but I've trained her well and she'll be fine on her own, she has Michael and that's all she needs. Tell Michael that I'm really sorry for all the shit I've gotten him into over the years but I love him like a brother really. And I'm telling you that it was _my_ fault for not telling you I was pregnant until the day I gave birth, but Owen, even though I told you I didn't love you, you should have never left me. Oh, and one more thing to tell Alice. I never ever stopped loving her daddy the way I used to."

"Oh, that's enough of your soppy goodbyes. Nikita deserves exactly what she's going to get," Kasim dragged her away and Owen spun around, searching out Michael in the crowds.

"Michael!" He yelled, signalling him madly. "Get out your gun and get the hell over here right now!"

When the word _gun_ was said, everybody ducked to the ground which just made it easier for Michael to find Owen.

"What do you want?" He shouted.

"It's Kasim," Owen replied pointing to Kasim who was taking Nikita away even faster, and they were almost at his car. "He's got Nikita."

"Dammit!" Michael shouted, banging his fist down on the table, which made the glasses and the knives and forks jump about wildly.

"Hurry up!" Owen shouted, frantically looking around for something to stall him.

"What is it?" Alex asked her husband.

"It's Nikita. Kasim has made a guest appearance and he's going to kill her if we don't hurry up. You stay here and look after Alice," Michael ordered as he hopped over the table, gun in hand.

"Sure," Alex said. She was used to this sort of thing happening, but it didn't make it any less scary.

"Wait! Alice isn't here."

She scanned the party for a small girl toddling along and when she spotted her she shouted out to Michael, "Michael! Over there!"

Alice was running up behind Nikita, intent on catching up with her mum.

"Shit!"

Michael ran as fast as lightening through the people crouched for safety on the floor. He fired his gun in the air. _Once. Twice. Three times._ Kasim turned around and Alice stopped where she was.

"Alice Livia Brookes! Stop right there," Michael shouted to the little girl who now had tears streaming down her perfect young skin.

He dived and took her down with him to protect her from the shots he was about to fire.

The first shot missed and skimmed Nikita in the back of the leg but the second shot was perfect and the bullet went straight through Kasim's chest and he collapsed on the floor, dead.

Michael lifted himself from Alice's frail body and tossed her up on his back as he ran towards Nikita.

* * *

"Shit Nikita. What are you playing at?" Michael placed Alice down on the floor who immediately started to suck her thumb. He grabbed Nikita by the shoulders and she started to sob.

"I just wanted you all to be safe," she cried.

"Yeah but you didn't have to give up your life to do that," Michael let go of Nikita as Owen and Alex approached and he passed her onto him as he held his new wife.

"Owen," Nikita sobbed. "I'm so, so sorry."

"What for this time?" Owen laughed, wiping away the tears on her face.

"For everything."

"I know you are. I know," Owen pulled Nikita in close. It was the first time he had held her since she had broken his heart and it felt good to be back in his presence.

"I meant what I said, I still love you…" Nikita started.

"Forever. I know," Owen finished.

The group was reuntied, properly, like the way it was meant to be.

"It's over now," Michael said. "There's no one to come after us anymore. Percy's dead. Kasim's dead. Amanda's dead. And Alissa got lost somewhere along the way."

He smiled as he kissed Alex on the top of her head. She hugged his broad chest and said, "It's all over. Now who wants a drink?"

**

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**Author's Note**

Well that's the end lol! (I know I really want to carry it on but I want to start something new and exciting. I had to end this story happily though because I think the characters deserve it). I kind of think it would be good to leave it there with everyone getting everything they wanted, I just wish it would happen like that in the show. I think I might do another one from one of the characters points of view (maybe Michael's because that could be quite interesting). But I do know one thing, it will definitely be Malex and lots of it. Please tell me what you think and thank you so much for reading my story :) x x x


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